Richmond Hill to provide micro-grants, launch innovation contest to support small businesses

City setting up hotline to connect businesses impacted by COVID-19 with reopening and recovery programs

Yorkregion.com
July 15, 2020

As the initial wave of COVID-19 slows down, Richmond Hill is planning to help local businesses brace for the pre-vaccine era.

Council endorsed a recovery action plan at the July 8 council meeting in an effort to help prepare local small businesses to survive and thrive in the post-pandemic economy.

The city will provide micro-grants of up to $5,000 each to help small businesses with recovery, as part of the 10-point plan which features innovation and entrepreneurship.

The action plan was created based on feedback and advice received by the Recover Richmond Hill Task Force, formed on April 22 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city will launch a municipal business innovation contest and innovation showcase as well as create a local innovation centre, according to the action plan.

These initiatives are aimed at providing existing businesses with an opportunity to partner with the city on innovative products and services while spurring new business ideas and accelerate investment.

“This is just the beginning, and more needs to be done,” Godwin Chan, chair of the task force, said at the meeting.

A number of local businesses have been forced to shut their doors under the emergency orders over the past several months and some of them have now been given the green light to reopen as the province entered Stage 2.

The city is developing a “Shop Local” campaign in partnership with the Richmond Hill Board of Trade and the Village of Richmond Hill BIA to encourage residents to support local businesses.

The plan also includes establishing a business support hotline over the next few weeks to help connect businesses with reopening and recovery programs.

As a joint effort by all levels of governments and local business communities, the task force has put forward a series of programs and initiatives to help thousands of local businesses mitigate the challenges on the local economy brought on by the pandemic.

Prior to the action plan, council passed a temporary use bylaw to allow local restaurants and cafés to create or expand outdoor patio space. Restaurateurs can visit RichmondHill.ca/Patios to learn how to quickly gain approval for the outdoor space.

The action plan is expected to be implemented primarily through existing staff resources and will request for funding to council for consideration, if required.