Digital Main Street – Digital Service Squad Grant (DSS)

• The applicant must be a local Business Improvement Area (BIA) located in Ontario.
• Alternatively, the applicant can be a Municipality, Chamber of Commerce, Board of Trade or Small Business Enterprise Centre located in Ontario.
• Alternatively, the application may be submitted on behalf of a collaborative partnership that includes at least one of the following: a Municipality, Chamber of Commerce, Board of Trade and/or Small Business Enterprise Centre.
• The project must involve hiring local Digital Service Squad members to support brick-and-mortar small businesses with their adoption of technology.

Who is eligible?

• Local Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) in Ontario
• Municipalities in Ontario
• Chambers of Commerce in Ontario
• Boards of Trade in Ontario
• Small Business Enterprise Centres in Ontario

Who is not eligible

• Small businesses of any type, including brick-and-mortar main street businesses, are not eligible to apply for this grant.
• Existing staff members of the applicant organization cannot be funded through this grant to serve as Digital Service Squad members.

Eligible expenses

• Purchase of equipment for squad members, up to $1,200 per member (e.g. Chromebook or equivalent, 360-degree camera kit including camera, battery pack and tripod, and a mobile hotspot or equivalent up to $200, excluding monthly service costs).
• Printing and distribution of local marketing materials such as postcards and flyers promoting the Digital Service Squad services.
• Travel expenses for squad activities, calculated using the posted provincial mileage rate, for outlier areas or when covering multiple cities.
• Cell phone costs for squad members, up to a maximum of $50 per month.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE), when necessary for squad operations.
• Fees for Zoom or equivalent online meeting/platform services required for squad activities.
• Salaries, wages or contract fees for Digital Service Squad members (with a stated preference for graduate or undergraduate students).

Eligible geographic areas

• Organizations located in Ontario.

• The application portal is currently closed because the available grant funds have been exhausted.
• Applicants are directed to consult the Digital Service Squad (DSS) FAQs for further details on applicant criteria, responsibilities, and ineligible costs.
• The grant cannot be used to pay an existing member of the applicant’s team to serve on the Digital Service Squad.
• Travel reimbursement is only mentioned as applicable for outlier areas and for applicants covering multiple cities, based on the posted provincial mileage rate.