A new short-term program has been created by the province to help businesses adapt to new COVID-19 public health guidelines.
The Northern Ontario Recovery program was announced yesterday morning by Minister Greg Rickford.
The funds will be administered by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and local businesses can apply when the applications open on October 1.
Rickford says it is vital for the government to assist in helping businesses survive, and the funding is critical for those who have already suffered from closure earlier this year.
Applications will remain open until December 31st with the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation administering the new program.
Companies can apply to NORP for assistance with projects that help them adjust to the impacts of COVID-19, such as, but not limited to:
- Building renovations and new constructions
- Customer and employee safety installations
- Equipment purchases, including personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Marketing for new business initiatives
- Restructuring of business operations
The current Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation program streams will close for applications as of September 30, 2020, to allow the NOHFC to focus exclusively on NORP funding applications.
Minister Rickford also announced plans for a new and improved NOHFC program to be launched in January 2021. The new program will make it easier for more people and businesses to apply and support more projects in rural northern communities. The program will target both existing and emerging market opportunities; provide more work opportunities for Indigenous people and address the skilled labour shortage in the north.
The NOHFC promotes economic prosperity across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects – big and small, rural and urban – that stimulate recovery, growth, job creation and skilled workforce development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $193 million in 1,386 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $748 million in investment and creating or sustaining 3,912 jobs.