News Business Intelligence
Ontario offering $1,000 to small businesses for PPE

Find out if your business is eligible to recover costs for personal protective equipment (PPE) or for rebates to help with fixed costs, such as property tax and energy bills.

Ontario’s Main Street Relief Grant: PPE support

We are helping small businesses with the unexpected costs of PPE.

Eligibility

To be eligible, your business must have two to nine employees and be in one of the following sectors:

• retail
• accommodation and food services
• repair and maintenance
• personal and laundry services

What you’ll get

Eligible small businesses will get one-time grants of up to $1,000.

What you’ll need to apply

You will need to submit receipts or proof of costs for PPE purchased since March 17, 2020. This includes:

• gloves, gowns, face shields, eye protection, masks, sanitizer, sanitizing wipes
• thermometers, temperature monitors or cameras
• physical changes, including the installation of hand sanitizer stations and plexiglass dividers
• signs to guide or inform customers and employees

Property tax and energy bill rebates

Businesses that were required to shut down or significantly restrict services due to provincial public health measures (in areas with modified Stage 2 restrictions or categorized as control or lockdown) can apply for rebates, provided in the form of grants, to help with their fixed costs.

Eligibility

Support is available for businesses that were required to close or significantly restrict services as a result of provincial modified Stage 2 public health measures announced on October 9, 2020. Going forward, areas categorized as control or lockdown qualify.

Types of businesses that are eligible for support include:

• restaurants and bars
• gyms, facilities for indoor sports and recreational fitness activities
• performing arts and cinemas
• bingo halls, gaming establishments, casinos, conference centres and convention centres
• community centres, multi-purpose facilities, and museums
• personal care services (with the exception of oxygen bars)
• racing venues
• meeting or event space
• in-person teaching and instruction

Businesses will not be eligible if they are:

• located outside provincial modified Stage 2 or control and lockdown regions
• within the areas subject to public health restrictions, but were not required to close or significantly restrict services
• owned by the federal, provincial, or a municipal government, or by a person holding federal or provincial office

What you’ll get

Eligible businesses could get rebates for:

• municipal and education property taxes
• energy costs, including electricity and natural gas (or where natural gas is not available, propane and heating oil)

Funding will cover the entire length of time that regionally targeted public health restrictions are in place.

Most businesses can expect to receive their rebate payments within a few weeks of submitting a complete application.

What you’ll need to apply

To apply, you will have to submit proof of costs.

For property tax rebates, this includes your property tax bills (or proof of costs associated with property taxes).

For energy cost rebates, this includes a digital copy of the first energy bill (including electricity, natural gas, propane or other) you received on or after the day Stage 2 restrictions were put in place in your region. You can also submit other energy bills if your business is heated by propane or heating oil.

How to apply

Fill out an online application to apply for PPE support, property tax rebates or energy cost rebates.

You will be able to complete a single form to apply for any – or all – of these programs.

Apply for support