Manitoba partners with its Chamber of Commerce to fund downtown Building Business Program

Manitoba Business. Image credit: Twitter handle of Manitoba Business

Manitoba’s Economic Development, Investment, and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen announced today that the Manitoba government is partnering with the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce (MCC) to fund the Downtown Building Business Program to help businesses downtown in their recovery efforts from the pandemic.

Administered by the Downtown Action Team in conjunction with the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, with the Manitoba government, delivery of the $2.5-million Building Business Fund will provide the funding as part of the $50-million Pandemic Long-Term Recovery Fund.


“The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce is so proud to recommend funding…commitment to accelerating downtown revitalization…create and maintain jobs, support existing businesses and attract new businesses to support downtown growth,” Chuck Davidson, president, and CEO, of Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, has said in a news release

Three funding streams of the Downtown Building Business Program include

  1. Business Improvement Grants to support existing businesses through space improvements and business development. Grants may include digitization support, business strategy development, exterior, and interior updates and repairs, technology improvements, marketing, and advertising, and human resource support. Twenty percent of grants will be allocated to BIPOC-owned businesses and 20 percent to woman-owned businesses.

2. Ground Floor Incubation Strategy and Program, which will mentor and connect emerging
entrepreneurs with empty downtown storefront locations and support them to redress
dilapidated storefronts.

  1. ‘Support Downtown’ marketing campaign, which will focus on economic development,
    business attraction and supporting local.

The Downtown Action Team is comprised of Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, Exchange District BIZ, West End BIZ, City of Winnipeg, CentreVenture, Economic Development Winnipeg, Downtown Community Safety Partnership, End Homelessness Winnipeg, and the Winnipeg Arts Council.

#Manitoba; #ManitobaBusiness