Small and medium-sized businesses in Saskatchewan are getting more time to get help from the provincial government.
In a media release Friday, the government announced it was extending the Saskatchewan Small Business Emergency Payment (SSBEP) program through January.
The program was launched in April and then renewed in December. Its goal is to support businesses that had to close or scale back their operations due to COVID-19.
“Small and medium-sized businesses in the province continue to face challenges due to the global COVID-19 pandemic,” Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said in the release.
“Our government believes support for businesses is vital, and the extension of this program for the month of January 2021, as well as the other programs available, will help as we continue to move through this challenging period and toward economic recovery.”
The government said the program gave $5.9 million in financial assistance to 1,521 applicants through December.
Given that the province has extended its public health orders, the government believes more businesses have been impacted. As a result, applications for the December and/or January payment are being extended until March 2.
Businesses that qualify are eligible for up to $5,000 per month in funding.
The government also reminded businesses about other programs, including the Strong Recovery Adaptation Rebate (SRAR) and the Re-Open Saskatchewan Training Subsidy (RSTS).
Details on the various programs are available here.
The government added businesses that previously have been fined for violating public health orders aren’t eligible to receive funding under the programs.