The Regional Municipality of Durham has announced additional support for businesses in the region to expand their digital presence, adopt innovative tools and explore new training opportunities through Digital Service Squads, as part of the Digital Main Street (DMS) program.
Established in 2018, DMS Ontario was recently extended thanks to an investment of $42.5 million from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and $7.45 million from the Ontario Ministry for Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT). The nearly $50-million investment will help small businesses across Ontario to pivot their operations to include online business models, regain lost revenue and become more resilient and competitive as the economy recovers. The Ontario BIA Association administers the DMS grant program to Ontario’s main street small businesses, said a statement.
Through DMS, the Business Advisory Centre of Durham (BACD), Downtown Whitby Business Improvement Area (BIA), and the Clarington Board of Trade (CBOT) will provide Durham businesses with free access to the services, supports and resources they need to succeed in today’s digital environment—including advertising and marketing services, web and social media support, content management and customer engagement tools, and more.
The region is also providing additional funding to augment the program to support businesses that fall outside defined BIA areas or are not located on “main streets”. These businesses should reach out to BACD to learn more about the additional funding programs available, the statement said.
Although the Covid-19 pandemic has widened the digital divide for businesses across Canada, DMS Service Squad teams will ensure small businesses are able to grow, adopt new digital tools and technologies, and establish a digital presence that allows customers to easily access their goods and services.
This region-wide initiative will allow access to one-on-one assistance, training and advisory services, while creating opportunities for employment and post-secondary learning, and advancing partnerships in our local business community.
Those interested in receiving support through DMS, can contact BACD, Downtown Whitby BIA, or CBOT.
“This is a great service for our local business community and a positive step forward for Durham Region. While businesses have faced many hardships during this unprecedented time, Digital Main Street is a free opportunity for businesses to find the support they need to go digital. I want to thank all parties involved for their countless hours of hard work and ongoing efforts to help keep Durham strong,” said John Henry, Regional Chair and CEO, Region of Durham.
Quick Facts
- DMS is focused on assisting main street small businesses with their adoption of technologies—providing one-on-one assistance to small businesses, including training, advisory support, and a grant to support Durham’s Digital Service Squads. Through a partnership with FedDev Ontario and the Province of Ontario, various grant opportunities are available to enable this digital transformation process.
- The Digital Transformation Grant program provides funding for training, advisory support, and grants to main street small businesses looking increase their capacity through digital transformation. For more information or to apply, visit DigitalMainStreet.ca/OntarioGrants.
- The Region is contributing $80,000 to the program to augment the services available, and expand the program to more small businesses outside of main street areas, in partnership with BACD.
- The Region previously announced joining DMS ShopHere, which provides independent businesses and artists an opportunity to develop an online store, free of charge, with specific branding, messaging, digital marketing, shipping and inventory management.
- The Region is working with the Durham Economic Task Force, all eight area municipalities, Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), Business Advisory Centre Durham (BACD), all Durham Chambers and Boards of Trade, Durham College, Ontario Tech University, and Trent University Durham GTA to support the delivery of various programs to eligible businesses in Durham Region. For more information, visit InvestDurham.ca/CovidResponse.