Photo Credit: Shane Clausing

By Shane Clausing

local marketing grant

City provides extra $50,000 to Local Marketing Grant for businesses

Nov 22, 2020 | 6:00 AM

The City of Grande Prairie’s Economic Recovery Committee has allocated an additional $50,000 to the Local Marketing Grant as part of their COVID-19 Economic Recovery Program.

Back in August, $500,000 was allocated to the Economic Recovery Program from the City. A majority of that money was allocated to the Beautification and Patio Grant.

The transfer of the funds is meant to assist more local businesses and organizations with their efforts for the holiday season.

So far, the Economic Recovery Committee has shelled out $48,446 in grant funding to 17 local businesses.

The grant matches 50 per cent of project costs, to a maximum of $2,500 for the creation of a marketing plan or marketing content.

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Some of the projects businesses have been approved for include website upgrades, social media advertising campaigns, and videography and photography for use in advertising for social platforms.

The following businesses have been approved for the grants:

• Interactive Counselling Ltd.
• Trapped Entertainment Ltd.
• Beairsto & Associates Engineering Ltd.
• Big Rig Collision (Grande Prairie) Ltd.
• Custom Communications and Security Inc. (CCSI)
• Grande Prairie Downtown Association
• Merle Norman & InSPArations Day Spa
• Madd Hatters Inc.
• Mont Tea
• Art Gallery of Grande Prairie (Art in the City)
• Tito’s Bistro & Café
• Eternity Fine Jewellery and Heirlooms
• Heiho Dojo Ltd.
• Energy Efficiency Pros
• 3Sixty Business Services
• To the Root Dental Hygiene Ltd.
• The Headroom Inc.

Lauren Levay, the Economic Development Officer for the City of Grande Prairie adds that a lot of the money from the grants that are being dished out are going to businesses in the community.

“It’s been great seeing some of the quotes that were coming in as part of the application. So many of the quotes that are coming in, particularly the Local Marketing Grant are from local service providers. It’s great to see the investment staying in the community, that’s really positive and there’s a multiplier effect there.”

The goal of the Economic Recovery Committee is to help small businesses bounce back after struggles from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite some of the funding being reallocated to the Local Marketing Grant, applications and funding is still available for the Beautification and Patio Grants.

Levay tells EverythingGP that she expects that there could be a lot of businesses looking to make upgrades to their facilities come the spring, because of COVID-19 regulations still being in place.

“I can see it definitely being an advantage for restaurants to apply for the program, just to expand their patios and add patios if they don’t already have them.

“That was definitely top of mind when we developed the program and just to allow some of that flexibility in there and to cater that to businesses that would like to add a patio.”

Anyone looking to apply for the grants can visit the City of Grande Prairie’s website.