Attention: Kahnawà:ke Businesses
Indigenous Community Business Fund
CLICK HERE: ICBF APPLICATION FORM
(To view detailed programs, please scroll to the bottom of this page)
DEADLINE: March 15th at 4:00 pm.
Tewatohnhi’saktha is pleased to announce that the Mohawk Council has approved the release of just over $1 million from the Indigenous Community Business Fund for new emergency economic relief programs to be administered by Tewatohnhi’saktha; this is in addition to the current Business Interruption Fund (BIF).
The new program is a result of the recent Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Business Impact survey, conducted by PlanIT Consulting. Economists evaluated the results of the survey, made 10 recommendations and assisted Tewatohnhi’saktha in designing programs to properly distribute the dollars.
Summary of the Five (5) New Emergency Economic Relief Programs
1. Passive Measures Program
This Program provides emergency financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic to Small and Medium Enterprises, (SMEs) Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) engaged in commercial activities, and self- employed individuals who can no longer afford paying for rent and other operating costs in situations where the short-term disruption of the services they offer to the community would or already have a negative impact on the community.
The funds of the program will only be used exceptionally to support immediate and urgent needs that would not be otherwise covered by other programs. Grants of a maximum of $10,000 are available.
EXAMPLES OF PASSIVE MEASURES THAT MAY BE COVERED:
- Rents not already covered by BIF
- Commercial Loans
2. Business Structural Measures Program.
This Program provides emergency financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic to support shovel-ready initiatives to further structure businesses in the community, provide network opportunities to community members and advise community members about how to better organize their businesses. In particular, the sharing of expertise on how to access available assistance and helping business owners acquire technical and financial expertise to upgrade their operations and business model, as well as the transmission of knowledge and information on how to access the needed resources to do so. Grants of a maximum of $10,000 are available.
EXAMPLES OF BUSINESS STRUCTURAL MEASURES THAT MAY BE COVERED:
- Finance community groups or businesses to acquire the material necessary to operate businesses that provide network and/or advice services that help other businesses get funding.
- Finance businesses to hire the proper human resources to market and offer such activities
3. Immediate Active Measures Program
This Program provides emergency financial relief for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) that require assistance in order to remain open and stay in business beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding provided is temporary in nature and is to be used to finance operations in deficit due to higher than usual costs or lower than usual revenues due to the pandemic. The funds of this program are not to be used to subsidize lower profits of the business. Grants of a maximum of $10,000 are available.
EXAMPLES OF IMMEDIATE ACTIVE MEASURES THAT MAY BE COVERED:
- Temporarily finance operations in deficit because of higher than usual costs.
- Temporarily finance operations in deficit because of higher or costlier inventory costs than usual.
- Finance restart costs or workers training in connection with returning to normal operations as soon as it is allowed given state of the pandemic.
4. Technical Assistance Measures Program
This Program provides emergency financial assistance for viable Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) to help business owners acquire technical and financial expertise to upgrade their operations and business model. Grants of a maximum of $10,000 are available.
EXAMPLES OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MEASURES THAT MAY BE FUNDED:
- Funds for training of specialized workers.
- Funds for hiring management consultants to help streamline business operations (manufacturing operations, etc.).
- To pay for IT specialists and/or marketing experts to adapt to both the new pandemic and expected post-pandemic reality.
- Financing the extra cost for accessing online help, data, programs or information to adapt and grow the business.
- Finance a business to acquire equipment needed to make the transition to the digital economy made necessary by the pandemic.
5. Growth Opportunity Program
This Program provides emergency financial assistance for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) wishing to finance an investment project. Grants of a maximum $25,000 are available to finance new investment projects. The financial assistance must be complementary financing to funding provided by other channels and represent less than 50% of the total cost of the new investment project. The objective of this program is to help SMEs and NPOs to close a financing shortfall.
EXAMPLES OF GROWTH OPPORTUNITY THAT MAY BE COVERED
- Complementary financing to funding provided by other channels to help close a financing shortfall (i.e. equipment/machinery, leasehold improvements, marketing that would be required to optimize the profitability of the new project).
Need more help?
PlanIT Consulting & Communications has been hired to process applications on behalf of Tewatohnhi’saktha.
Contact : Maris Jacobs
Tel: 514-971-8077 Email: info@planitkahnawake.ca
Facebook: PlanIT Consulting & Communications
P.O. Box 222, Kahnawà:ke
The Tewatohnhi’saktha Business Services Team is also available if you have questions 450-638-4280. Please forward all completed applications and required documentation to PlanIT Consulting and Communications.
PRINTABLE PROGRAM DETAILS:
Business structural measures program 2
Immediate active measures program 3
Technical assistance measures program 4
(THE SUMMARY OF 5 PROGRAMS AND APPLICATION FORMS ARE AVAILABLE AT CANADA POST ON OUR DISPLAY RACK – PLEASE SANITIZE YOU HANDS BEFORE TAKING ONE. NIA:WEN)