Request for Expressions of Interest
Professional Services to Support B.C.’s Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grant Program
The B.C. Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grant Program is intended to provide financial assistance to businesses that have been drastically impacted by COVID-19. Eligible businesses will receive grants of between $10,000 to $30,000 (with an additional top-up of up to $15,000 for eligible tourism-related businesses) to support the costs of implementing a recovery plan that outlines a realistic approach to keeping the business afloat until sales and revenues are able to return to more-normal levels.
The program is intended to help B.C. businesses stabilize and adapt their operations, sustain their employees and continue to support local purchases of goods and services in communities throughout the province.
Small Business BC is a delivery partner focused on Stage 2 of the process – vetting and retaining a roster of professional service providers, matching eligible businesses with service providers, and ensuring recovery plans are completed in a timely manner.
Eligible businesses will be provided with professional services valued at up to $2,000 per business (including taxes) to help assess their situation and develop a recovery plan that will describe a realistic path to remaining solvent until COVID-19 is behind us.
Businesses Helping Businesses
The B.C. Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grant program is seeking the following interested parties to help develop recovery plans:
- Practicing Lawyers in good standing with Law Society of BC
- CPAs in good standing with CPA of BC
- Certified Professional Bookkeepers (CPB) in good standing with CPB Canada or the Canadian Institute of Bookkeeping (CIB)
- Certified Professional Financial Planners (CFP)
Small Business BC matches the business to the service provider who invoices SBBC for reimbursement for services, up to a maximum of $2,000 (including taxes) per grant recipient at their normal hourly rate of up to $250/hour.
Service providers must view a 45-minute webinar recording to ensure they are fully briefed on the objectives of the program, its timelines, and the importance of a consistent approach. Once a business is approved to join the program as a service provider, they will receive a link to view the webinar via email.
Once businesses are verified as being eligible for the program, they will be matched with professional service providers through Small Business BC, wherever possible based on location, sector and spoken language needs.
Businesses may also bring their own professional service provider, understanding they will go through the same vetting process.
Please Note: To be reimbursed for services, the professional service provider must be a third-party and not a member of staff.
The role of the professional service provider will be to review the business’s financial statements and assist them in evaluating and developing a recovery plan which will become the foundation of their grant application.
Upon completion of the recovery plan – which should take no longer than two weeks to prepare from when the professional advisor is referred, the business will upload the recovery plan to their online application and the system will notify the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation that the plan is ready for review.
How to Apply
If you are one of the professions listed above, can support clients within a two week window, and would like to lend your skills, knowledge and expertise to assisting companies develop their economic recovery plans, and play a part in rebuilding a critical part of B.C’s economy, we’d love to hear from you.
If you have any questions about the expression of interest – please call our team on 1-833-254-4357 (HELP), email [email protected] or use our live chat.
We are available to help Monday to Friday from 9:00am – 5:00pm except on statutory holidays.