Frequently Asked Questions

The non-repayable contribution is not taxable income for businesses. However, businesses must maintain accurate financial records, including tax receipts, for all expenditures related to the funding. This documentation is essential for compliance and audit purposes. The program requires that recipients adhere to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) guidelines, ensuring that all eligible expenses are properly documented and reported for tax purposes.

Once all required documents have been submitted and verified, approved applicants will receive their initial advance of 50% their total contribution, with 50% holdback pending the submission of their interim report and supporting documents.

Participating businesses will also need to submit a final report once all funds have been expended. To receive payments, non-repayable contribution recipients will be required to submit information on their expenditures and provide copies of all relevant receipts.

Applications are assessed based on eligibility, business model overview, proposed use of funds, goals and objectives, impact on Main Street, business productivity improvements, job creation, innovation, and the project's impact on business sustainability.

Once applications have been scored, they will be assessed for equitable regional distribution, rural distribution, and distribution to traditional underrepresented and equity-deserving groups.

Eligible expenses include new equipment, leasehold improvements costs, accessibility improvement costs, external façade renovations, inventory (excludes replenishment), technology, marketing campaigns, lease (for businesses at their main street location for under one year).

To be eligible for consideration, all businesses must meet the following criteria:

• Must be a business with a bricks-and-mortar location.
• Must be located on a main street.
• Is employing 1 to 50 employees.
• Is paying commercial property tax (commercially assessed) either directly or through commercial rent.
• Is a registered business. Is open to the public for walk-in and onsite purchases of goods and services.
• Is owned by an Ontario resident operating a business in Ontario who is:
  • 18 years of age or older at the time of application.
  • A Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• Is not a franchise, including those individually owned and operated.
• Is not in a shared workspace, such as a hot desk or dedicated desk.
• Is not a consulting or professional services company.
• Is not purely an online business.
• Has completed online application.
• Please note the following:
  • Priority will be given to applicants who are members of equity seeking groups, including Francophone, women, Indigenous, racialized groups, Black communities, newcomers, youth (39 and under), people living with disabilities, Trans, Non-binary and 2SLGBQIA+.
  • Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously received funding through the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program.

The name of your business, the municipality in which it resides and the amount of funding you receive will be public information.

Recipients of funding may be asked to participate in announcements, events and storytelling initiatives related to their business to promote the impact of my Main Street funding on the main street community, as per the funding agreement.

Business Sustainability stream funding decisions are final.

No, businesses do not need to allocate additional funding or resources toward the project.

Yes, all expenses must be reconciled with the submission of interim and final reports, and all supporting receipts and/or proofs of purchase.

Any expenses that do not fall within the eligibility list may be ineligible; however, some expenses are dependent on their significance to the project proposal. Contact us if you are unsure about your specific expense.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of examples of expenses that are not eligible for reimbursement through the Business Sustainability stream:

• Purchasing land and/or buildings, real estate fees and related costs.
  • Capital costs (land, building construction, underground plumbing)
• Indirect costs/overhead.
• Purchasing a vehicle.
• Depreciation or amortization expenses.
• Staff wages/paystubs.
• Payments to any member or officer of the Recipient’s Board of Directors.
• Costs of individual membership in a professional body.
• Construction of new buildings or facilities.
• Legal fees related to litigation.
• Partisan, political or election-related activities.
• Research projects where findings are not, or are not intended to be, tangibly applied as an outcome of the project. For example, carrying out a feasibility study without intending to carry out the work.
• Events and activities that do not abide by local and provincial Public Health guidelines.
• Expenses incurred outside the eligibility window (December 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024).

Non-repayable contributions can be used to cover a range of eligible expenses, including:

• Bricks-and-mortar startup costs (for businesses located at their address under one year):
  • Equipment
  • Lease (e.g., initial lease costs)
  • Leasehold improvements (e.g., improvements to the business space, etc.)
  • External Façade renovations (e.g., signage or external façade updates)
  • Inventory (e.g., purchasing inventory)
  • Marketing campaigns
  • Technology (e.g., securing tech to support business operations)
• Business expansion costs
  • Equipment
  • Leasehold improvements (e.g., improvements to the business space, etc.)
  • External façade renovations (e.g., signage or external façade updates)
  • Inventory (e.g., purchasing inventory)
  • Marketing campaigns
  • Technology (e.g., securing tech to support business operations, such POS, CRM or other systems)

Not sure if your project costs are eligible? Review the ineligible costs list in the Applicant Guide and then contact us if your cost does not fall into those categories.

A small business is generally defined as any business that is independently owned and operated, typically with fewer than 50 employees, and usually with less than $10 million in annual revenue

• For this program, a small business is a business that:
• Has between 1 to 50 employees;
• Is a registered business paying commercial property tax;
• Is owned by an Ontario resident operating a business in Ontario; and
• Is not a franchise, including those individually owned and operated.

A main street business is:

• Located within a designated “main street”, defined by a primary retail street, usually the focal point of a local community and its residents for shops, retailers, food and drink, and local services;
• Located on an eligible main street, confirmed on the Measuring Main Streets mapping tool;
• Abrick-and-mortar location;
• Open to the general public for walk-in and onsite purchases of goods and services;
• Not a franchise, including those individually owned and operated;
• Not in a shared workspace such as a hot desk or dedicated desk;
• Not a consulting or professional services company; and
• Not purely an online business.

The core objectives of the Business Sustainability stream are:

• Improve productivity, capacity and competitiveness of businesses that increases employment and growth opportunities
• Enhance the resilience of communities
• Support and prioritize equity-deserving groups
• Provide custom market research data and analysis

Community Activator funding decisions are final.

Yes, all expenses for the project must be reported on in order to receive reimbursements.

Throughout the program, funding will be provided in the form of reimbursement against detailed spending. Successful applicants will report on expenditures on a quarterly basis for reimbursement. Advances of up to 25 percent of total project costs can be requested, to ensure applicants have access to the required resources.

Submitted projects will be assessed for:

• Vision - Is the placemaking project clearly defined with a clear geographic area and well-conceived objectives, including those related to equity seeking populations?
• Capacity - Is there a strong team in place with a well thought-out plan for successful implementation, a fully costed budget and a clearly articulated plan to measure success?
• Community need - Does the proposed geographic area have a clearly defined need?

The My Main Street Community Activator selection process will be adjudicated on vision and capacity through a Selection Committee or Committees, including:

• External representatives with demonstrated experience in community placemaking, local economic development, successful implementation and project management.
• Representatives with the above experience who identify as members of equity-seeking communities from across southern Ontario.

Before initiating their scoring process, the Selection Committee(s) will be required to participate in a training session facilitated by the Canadian Urban Institute that will outline the project’s vision, objectives and requirements and will address issues of systemic bias.

All applications will be scored based on standardized project evaluation criteria.

My Main Street Community Activator recipients will be required to provide documented expenses for their completed work, and funding will be made in the form of reimbursements. Here are some examples of expenses that are not eligible for reimbursement through My Main Street Community Activator:

• Purchasing land and/or buildings, real estate fees and related costs.
• Capital expenditures.
  • Ineligible capital expenditures include new construction and renovation of existing infrastructure and buildings.
• Purchasing a vehicle.
• Depreciation or amortization expenses.
• Payments to any member or officer of the Recipient’s Board of Directors.
• Costs of individual membership in a professional body.
• Construction of new buildings or facilities, or renovations to existing buildings.
• Legal fees related to litigation.
• Partisan, political or election related activities.
• Research projects where findings are not, or are not intended to be, tangibly applied as an outcome of the project. For example, carrying out a feasibility study without intending to carry out the work.
• Projects that benefit only private interests.
• Events and activities that do not abide by local and provincial Public Health guidelines.
• Expenses incurred outside the eligibility window (December 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024).
• Funds cannot be used to cover owner, management, or existing employee labour costs. Funds can be applied to support costs of project related labour

Eligible costs can include:

• Labour costs;*
• Consultants;
• Communications, marketing and promotion;
• Program costs related to equipment, materials, evaluation, insurance, permits and approvals, program honoraria, project measurement/analytics costs, etc.; and
• Capital expenditures -
  • Above-grade enhancements to streetscape, design, landscaping and amenities such as murals, seating, temporary installations and lighting are eligible.

* Funds cannot be used to cover owner, management, or existing employee labour costs. Funds can be applied to support costs of project-related labour.

Visit our Examples page or review the Applicant Guide for an extensive list of eligible costs and examples.