Federal Government Rent Subsidy Program
Good news: you can now apply for the federal government’s improved rent subsidy program!
What is the new program?
The Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) will reimburse eligible businesses up to 65% of their rent expenses, depending on how much revenue they’ve lost as a result of COVID-19.
If you’ve been forced to close your doors by a public health order, you could also qualify for a top-up, bringing your subsidy to 90%.
How much am I eligible for?
It depends on how much revenue you have lost and whether you own or rent the building. Check out our CERS website to better understand how the subsidy is calculated. You can also use CRA’s CERS calculator to find out how much you qualify for.
Please note that you can apply for the subsidy retroactively to September 24, so make sure you get everything you are eligible for!
How do I apply?
You can apply in two ways:
Unlike CECRA, it does not require your landlord’s involvement, so it is much more accessible.
Food Processing Business Round Table
Do you make an amazing product that your friends all say that you should sell? Are you a caterer working out of your home and hoping to upsize?
The London Food Processing Incubator Project team would like to talk with you about the possible development of a food processing incubator in London and region.
They want to learn from you what would help you move forward with your food related business.
Come and hear from some people who have scaled their businesses successfully and learn from their advice. At this Roundtable, you will be hearing from local food entrepreneur, Paul Faris, about his journey to success.
Digital Main Street Webinar
Whether you have $0, $50, or $100 a month to spend on Facebook and Instagram, you can still reach your target customers and clients. Discover some creative ways to do so in this beginner-level webinar.
Downtown London Marketplace – Coming Soon!
Downtown London wants to help Londoners support downtown businesses this holiday season…and we have some very exciting news to share.
We have created an online marketplace…think of it as a local Amazon for our downtown!
Your business can list products, services, or gift cards online through this marketplace and consumers can shop online through out site. Consumers can either choose to have their purchased delivered via Canada Post or pay online and pick up in store.
There is no subscription fee to be listed on this marketplace.
More details about how to get involved will be released shortly. If you are interested in learning more, please send an expression of interest to Colleen at colleen@downtownlondon.ca
Window Decorating Contest
The annual window decorating contest is back! We invite you to decorate your windows this holiday season and enter into our contest to win Downtown Dollars.
There will be two parts to the contest this year: a judged portion and a fan’s choice!
Judges include Julie Atchison (CTV News), Amber Desilets (The Pink Millennial) and Dennis Garnhum (The Grand Theatre). Entries will be judged on cleanliness, originality, use of material, and overall impact.
Londoners will be encouraged to vote for the Fan’s Choice award on our website beginning December 1, 2020. Links to voting to follow.
The deadline to submit an entry is November 25th at 5pm. To submit, all you need to do is send a photo of your window display to intern@downtownlondon.ca!
Redeem Your Construction Dollars Today!
Friendly reminder that all Construction Dollars must be redeemed for payment at the Downtown London office by December 31, 2020. We encourage you to redeem the Construction Dollars at our office ASAP. The earlier we have them, the more we can distribute in 2020!
Our office is open for Downtown Dollar & Construction Dollar redemptions on Tuesdays & Thursdays only.
Holiday Music Streaming Service
Whether you are roasting chestnuts, wrapping presents, or just hiding out from the cold… Listen to Classic Rock 98.1’s Christmas Stream – Proudly sponsored by Downtown London. This free streaming service is available 24/7 with non-stop Christmas classics, so you can tune in however and whenever you get into the holiday spirit!
We encourage you to play this station in your business this holiday season as the only ads are for supporting downtown businesses!
City of London Announcements…
In an effort to improve the cleanliness of downtown and a few other areas, the City of London will be conducting a new pilot project for garbage collection. The goal is to reduce the length of time that bagged garbage sits at the curb, reduce the amount of litter, and better meet the needs of businesses and those living downtown.
Garbage will now be collected in the evening (and shortly after midnight) instead of in the early morning. There is also a minor change to collection days. Please visit the City of London’s website to learn more about when your curbside garbage collection is.