‘Circuit breaker’ relief grant introduced to help businesses affected by recent restrictions

The province will be setting aside about $50 million to help businesses impacted by the March 30 public health orders surrounding indoor dining and fitness classes.

Named the ‘circuit breaker business relief grant’, the government expects about 14,000 businesses around B.C. to be eligible.

It will provide between $1,000 to $10,000 in financial aid, for expenses like rent, insurance, employee wages as well as utilities.

The grant can also help cover unexpected costs that resulted from the restrictions, such as the purchase of perishable goods.

More than $50 million from the $345-million Small and Medium-Sized Business Recovery Grant program has been set aside for businesses through the Circuit Breaker Business Relief Grant.

The individual amount a business receives will be based on the number of employees.

In addition, the grant is open to eligible businesses of any size that have been in operation since Feb. 1.

They must be able to prove they were impacted by the recent ‘circuit breaker’ restrictions. Each business will be able to recieve between $1k – $10k in funding. Majority of businesses (14k or so total) will recieve about $5k. #bcpoli #covid19bc

— Catherine Garrett (@cath_garrett) April 8, 2021