Programs and Grants for Member Businesses
Digital Main Street and the Digital Service Squad
You Could Grow Your Business by Joining Digital Main Street
The Digital Service Squad (DSS) is a free digital resource to help you grow your business by adopting and
implementing digital tools and technologies. Now, thanks to renewed funding of the Digital Main Street Ontario
Grants Program (OPG) by the Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade in
partnership with TABIA and OBIAA, we are thrilled to offer this free resource to your business.
DSS members are trained specialists that go to brick-and-mortar small businesses, like yours, to help them adopt
innovative technologies and embrace digital marketing. A DSS member can show you how to build a basic
website or how to improve your existing online presence through tools such as Google Business Profile and
social media. Squad members can also help you optimize your website for search, setup a POS solution, and
create customer databases. In addition, Digital Service Squads provide advice and recommendations to
streamline your fundamental business operations (including back office processes) and can help you find local
digital vendors for potential projects
.
Canada Digital Adoption Program
Apply For the Grow Your Business Online Grant
As part of the Canada Digital Adoption Program, the Government of Canada has partnered with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce to deliver the Grow Your Business Online grant supported by the Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Through this program, small business owners can receive a micro-grant worth up to $2,400 to help get their business online, give their e-commerce presence a boost, or digitalize business operations. Grant recipients must commit to maintaining their digital adoption strategy for at least six months.
In addition, e-commerce advisors will be available to work with grant recipients to help identify their digital needs, provide links to digital resources, help with completing applications, and answer questions on the Grow Your Business Online program.
They are currently putting in place the final touches on the online application process – until then, sign up for updates to receive a notification for when the program goes live HERE
FREE RAPID TESTS AVAILABLE FOR SMALL-AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES UNDER 150 EMPLOYEES!
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Ontario and Canadian governments, has launched the COVID-19 Rapid Screening Initiative. Through this initiative, participating chambers of commerce and boards of trade are rolling out free rapid tests for small- and medium-sized businesses in communities across the province.
Businesses (including non-chamber members) with 150 employees or less are welcome to participate in this program. The goal of the program is to identify asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic cases of COVID-19 in the workplace that might otherwise be missed, helping to curb the spread in the workplace, at home and around the community.
If you are a small and medium-sized business (SME) with under 150 employees, see the list below of chambers of commerce and boards of trade currently participating in the program.