A milestone of $500,000 worth of grants were divvied out to small businesses in Guelph and Wellington. The Business Centre Guelph-Wellington has assisted the small businesses as part of the Digital Main Street program.
The program has been underway the last four years and has sought to help businesses throughout the pandemic. It has awarded 200 Digital Transformation Grants of $2,500 each this past year.
“And I always like to say reinvested into the community because that's exactly what it is,” said Kristel Manes, executive director of the Business Centre Guelph-Wellington, to GuelphToday.
She said the funding goes until 2024 and she encourages more people to apply.
The grant's purpose is to help brick-and-mortor businesses enhance their online presence to adapt to a changing environment.
The $500,000 investment is from Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. It is administered by the Ontario BIA Association (OBIAA).
“The Digital Main Street Digital Transformation Grant program is a vitally important and immensely valuable resource for small businesses,” said Kay Matthews, executive director of OBIAA, in a news release.
“We join the Business Centre Guelph-Wellington in celebrating the success of the program that continues to provide their local businesses with the knowledge, resources, and training to revitalize their operations with an expanded digital presence,” said Matthews in the release.
During the summer the centre will offer drop-in sessions from the Digital Service Squad to help small businesses apply for the grant and give advice about the program. The upcoming session is on June 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Guelph City Hall’s Marg MacKinnon Community Room. The squad recommends taking a laptop.
