By Liam Verster

Business Grants

City of Grande Prairie accepting applications for Barrier-Free and Training Grants

Apr 8, 2021 | 1:10 PM

The City of Grande Prairie is accepting applications for two business grants: one designed to improve accessibility and the other to provide training opportunities.

The Barrier-Free Grant will be awarded to businesses that wish to make their spaces more accessible to people with physical, cognitive, or sensory disabilities.

Rebecca Leigh with the city’s Economic Development department says this could include several things.

“That could be things like transitioning from a sidewalk onto private property, ensuring that you’ve got good ramps and clear, safe access through your parking lots or across the vehicle areas. It also is things like automatic doors or handrails and guards, ensuring that you have accessible seating and counters.”

Successful applicants will receive a grant matching 50 per cent of the cost to implement these improvements, up to a maximum of $10,000.

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The Training Grant is intended to support businesses that want to provide training opportunities for their staff, be it in the forms of marketing, computer literacy, or bookkeeping courses.

Leigh says there has already been a lot of interest in this program.

“One of the most common things that we have heard from businesses is a need to empower themselves and their existing employees to take on a lot more of that marketing and communications role in house, just with the changing restrictions and the new way businesses are operating and connecting with their customers.”

The grants will cover 25 per cent of registration costs for programs that cost more than $300 per person, up to a maximum of $2,500. Businesses could also receive 50 per cent of the registration costs for programs that cost under $300 per person, up to $1,250.

The proposed training programs must be deemed suitable to support the business operations in order to successfully earn the Training Grants.

Last year, the city launched two other grant programs, one called Local Marketing and the other for beautification and patio grants.

Leigh says the marketing one has been very popular.

“We’ve seen over 34 applications come in from a variety of different businesses and different industries, so that’s really supporting our local businesses in communicating their operations, helping them (to) pivot and explore new revenue opportunities and connect with their customers.”

Leigh says eight projects have been approved under the Beautification and Patio Grant program. She says people were not thinking about things like this during the winter, but with nicer weather and new restrictions, there is more emphasis on patios. The money for these grants comes from the City’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Fund.

Businesses that wish to apply for these grants can do so through the City of Grande Prairie’s website.

– with files from Curtis Galbraith