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Boosting Resilience after COVID-19

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This article was published 06/01/2022 (1082 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Restaurants, retailers, hotels, travel and tourist-related businesses, and personal services were among the pandemic’s hardest hit, and the road to recovery for some sectors is still very long. But the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce has been there, every step of the way, working hard to support our members and the broader business community through pandemic economic recovery. In case you weren’t aware of the many initiatives we designed and administered in 2021, here is an overview:

Dine-In Restaurant Relief Program

This $9 million fund, part of the Province of Manitoba’s $50 million Long-term Recovery Fund, addressed the ongoing losses of traditional dine-in restaurants that pivoted to a delivery model amid pandemic shut-downs. When the program closed in July 2021, MCC and our partners at MRFA had received more than 700 applications from Manitoba restaurant owners/operators, helping many avoid the possibility of permanent closure.

Manitoba Business Matters

Thanks to a grant from Western Economic Diversification Canada, MCC launched the Manitoba Business Matters microsite, and produced and delivered our “Coronavirus Survival Guide” to 40,000 Manitoba businesses in March 2021. Throughout the past year, thanks to our 8 expert partners, we’ve provided pandemic-related resources in the areas of financial and legal matters, HR and employment issues, workplace wellness, health and safety, and more.

Support Local Investments

As part of the federal government’s $33 million Shop Local initiative announced in June 2021, MCC received $1.1 million to invest in campaigns that promote small business and boost consumer confidence. MCC provided an infusion of $500,000 to scale up GoodLocal.ca; solicited applications from local chambers of commerce, and conducted a call for proposals from our broader not-for-profit community. The flexible funding enabled Manitoba’s business support organizations and industry associations to tailor campaigns to local priorities.

TRIP MB – Tourism Rebate 
Incentive Program

In summer 2021, we encouraged Manitobans to explore the beauty of our own backyard with a tourism rebate program. In total, more than 24,000 Manitobans took a trip or staycation on us, totalling more than $2.2 million in rebates for hotel nights, hotel-designed stay & play packages, and regular admission fees at more than 30 Manitoba Star Attractions. The total sales to Manitoba’s hotel and attractions were over $5.5 million, for a trackable 2 to 1 return on investment. If all other consumer spending such as meals, transportation, and other purchases had been tracked, we estimate a 7 to 1 return on investment.

Digital Manitoba Initiative (DMI)

The $15 million DMI is helping businesses and non-profit organizations with digital transformation, offering a low-risk way to invest in and adopt digital technology. The MCC is administering the DMI, with funds allocated to enable local organizations to transition operations to digital platforms, and provide goods and services online. The fund consists of two streams to support immediately actionable projects:

 

• TechUP: up to $5,000 for fundamental digital tools
• PowerUP digital strategy funding of up to $25,000 to evolve business models, processes and operations, improve client/customer experience, and increase productivity.

 

Within one week of its opening on Oct. 21, the DMI had registered more than 1,000 applications.

Retrain MB

In partnership with Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW), MCC launched Retrain Manitoba, a $12.5 million workforce skills development grant program to help Manitoba move to the next stage of economic recovery. Employers may be reimbursed up to $2,500 per employee for a range of in-person and online industry-recognized training courses provided by a third-party trainer. Employers who already paid for courses with start dates from April 1, 2021 to Aug. 31, 2022 are eligible to apply for these grants.

As we move into year three of COVID-19 at the forefront of everything we do, the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce wishes to thank the Province of Manitoba, Western Economic Diversification Canada, Economic Development Winnipeg, the Manitoba Restaurant & Foodservices Association, Travel Manitoba and all our Manitoba Business Matters partners for their financial, administrative, and expert support.