Small Businesses in Ontario can now get reimbursed for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

There’s no blueprint for running a small business during a pandemic. As Ontarians navigate dynamic regional health measures and sector-specific workplace safety measures under the province’s COVID-19 response framework, Main Street, Ontario is facing unprecedented challenges.

We hear you. Small businesses – which employ 2.4 million Ontarians and account for 98% of businesses in Ontario – need support to operate safely as we navigate through this pandemic.

GET REIMBURSED FOR Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The Ontario government’s Main Street Recovery Plan can help your small business weather the storm by providing up to $1,000 in grants for personal protective equipment (PPE) including:

●      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.

Available retroactively to cover PPE purchased since March 17, 2020 (remember to hold on to your receipts, they’re required when you apply), this one-time grant was designed to reduce the impact that those masks, gloves, and plexi barriers have had on your bottom line.

WHO QUALIFIES FOR THE PPE GRANT? To be eligible for this grant, your small business must employ two to nine people and operate in one of the following sectors:

●      Retail;

●      Accommodation and food services;

●      Repair and maintenance;

●      Personal and laundry services.

You can learn more about the $1000 PPE grant here.

OTHER RESOURCES DESIGNED FOR YOU Ontario’s Main Street Recovery Plan has other resources that can help you respond to the pandemic and its impact on “business as usual.” They include:

●      Mental health supports for small business owners and staff;

●      Help building e-commerce tools so small businesses can do more online;

●      A new webpage where small business owners can find support and resources in one place.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on lives and livelihoods. But by standing together, Ontarians will get through this global crisis more resilient than ever. So stay up to date on the regional health measures that affect your small business. Keep social distancing (maintain that 2-metre bubble!). And mask up. We are all in this together.

Apply for the Main Street Recovery Plan’s $1000 PPE grant here

View our Safe + Well Guide