COVID-19: Manitoba Bridge Grant

Program Overview

• The Manitoba Bridge Grant provides a $5,000 grant to eligible Manitoba businesses and organizations that are required to fully close their premises to the public as a result of Manitoba COVID-19 Prevention Orders in effect as of November 12, 2020.
• A business or organization is defined as:
  • Sole proprietorship
  • Partnership
  • Corporation
  • Co-operative
  • Non-share corporation
  • Not-for-profit organization
  • Registered Charity
• To qualify:
  • the business or organization must be actively operating or conducting business in Manitoba immediately prior to the implementation of applicable public health orders;
  • the business or organization was required to fully close their premises to the public as a result of Manitoba COVID-19 Prevention Orders in effect as of November 12, 2020;
    
    Please note that eligible businesses and organizations that seek alternative ways to provide services to the public despite having to fully close their premises as a result of Manitoba COVID-19 prevention orders are eligible to apply for the program.
  • the business or organization must operate a physical location in the region to which the public health order applies to:
    Region are as follows:
    • Interlake-Eastern Region
    • Northern Region
    • Prairie Mountain Region
    • Southern Health-Santé Sud Region
    • Winnipeg Metropolitan Region
• Eligible businesses or organizations will receive a grant of $5,000 per entity irrespective of the number of locations operated (i.e. one grant per business or organization).
• The program application deadline is December 15, 2020.
• The application deadline is subject to change as determined by the Manitoba government.
• The Manitoba Bridge Grant is taxable income.

Eligibility Criteria

To receive support from the Manitoba Bridge Grant, a business or organization must meet all of the following criteria:

• be a permanent, Manitoba-based business or organization physically operating in the Province of Manitoba;
• have been actively operating or conducting business on November 9, 2020;
• operate as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, co-operative, non-share corporation, not-for-profit organization, or registered charity;
• possess an active and valid Business Number as of November 9, 2020;
• be in good standing with the Manitoba Companies Office (not required for sole proprietors and registered charities);
• have been required by Manitoba COVID-19 Prevention Orders in effect as of November 12, 2020 to fully close their premises to the public;
• have an e-mail address and a valid business bank account with a Canadian financial institution.

Organizations that do not qualify include

• Business and organizations that continue to operate, but were required to limit the number of occupants within their premises as a result of COVID-19 Prevention Orders in effect as of November 12, 2020;
• Businesses that do not exist for the purpose of carrying on an active business in Manitoba; – passive businesses are not eligible for the Manitoba Bridge Grant;
• Businesses or organizations that conduct multilevel marketing;
• Businesses or organizations that were in arrears for taxes owing to Manitoba on March 20, 2020 (i.e., before the first state of emergency), and that have not since rectified the amount in arrears (note: this does not include businesses that have deferred tax remittances incurred between April and September 2020).

Application Documents

Before proceeding to the online application, ensure you have the following information ready:

• Your Business Number, Companies Office Registry Number, Workers Compensation Board or Retail Sales Tax account numbers (as applicable)
• The business or organization’s bank account information
• Your Social Insurance Number, if you are applying as a sole proprietor or partnership, when the partner is an individual. The applicant must be the sole-proprietor, partner, director, or authorized representative of the business or organization.

For General Inquiries

Call: 204-945-3744 or 1-866-626-4862 (Toll-Free)
Email: mgi@gov.mb.ca

How to Submit Your Application

Eligibility is determined based on information provided in the application form. The grant will be approved based on meeting the eligibility requirements.

Apply here: https://forms.gov.mb.ca/bridge-grant/