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By Chris Brown

Reviving SMERG

Province puts up another $350M in pandemic relief for small business

Apr 13, 2021 | 8:12 PM

EDMONTON – The Alberta government is making another $350 million available to help small and mid-sized businesses that have seen revenues decline by at least 30 per cent because of public health restrictions.

The businesses will be eligible to receive up to $10,000.

Premier Jason Kenney and Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer announced this morning the province is relaunching the Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant (SMERG) program. SMERG was launched last summer in response to the pandemic and eligibility was expanded in January. The program ended in March.

The first two phases of SMERG paid out grants of up to $20,000 to eligible businesses that recorded a revenue drop of 30 per cent or more.

“We’ll continue to be there to support small businesses that we’ve asked to make sacrifices to help keep us safe during this pandemic,” Schweitzer. “Alberta’s economy relies on the successful recovery of small businesses and we’ll be there to support them to get to the other side of this pandemic.”

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Kenney said that at $985-million, Alberta has provided by far the highest per capita cash grants to job creators.

The expansion of the program means hotels, taxis and ride-share services will be eligible for funding.

The updated SMERG program will replace the previously announced Enhanced COVID-19 Business Benefit.

Applications will be open in the coming days.

(CHAT News Today – With files from Lethbridge News NOW)