Today, the Government of Saskatchewan announced the Saskatchewan Small Business Emergency Payment (SSBEP) program will be extended to the month of May for businesses that are required to remain closed or substantially curtail operations after May 19, 2020.
“While the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan is now underway, we are still very much dealing with the global COVID-19 pandemic, so we need to be methodical in how we implement each phase of the plan in our province,” Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said. “We want to be flexible and responsive with the program and make sure we provide timely support for businesses so they can utilize this funding where it will provide the most benefit for them. We will continue working closely with our business community on this, and other measures, right through each critical phase of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan.”
Businesses will not need to reapply to the program. Businesses that qualify for the program will automatically receive a second payment after May 19. Launched on April 13, 2020, the SSBEP program is a $50 million program providing financial support to small and medium businesses that have had to temporarily close or substantially curtail their operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligible applicants receive a payment of 15 per cent of their sales revenue from April 2019 or February 2020, up to $5,000, to help businesses with expenses including fixed costs such as rent. To date, the SSBEP has processed more than 4,700 applications and provided more than $15 million in support to Saskatchewan businesses.
For more information and the SSBEP application, businesses can visit www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-businesses.