A $15-million investment in the future

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This article was published 22/10/2021 (1785 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province, in partnership with the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, is making $15 million available for Manitoba businesses to do the kind of digital upgrades they’ve known they needed but did not have cash on hand to do so.

The program, called Digital Manitoba Initiative (DMI), will disperse funds up to $5,000 for mostly one-time investments that ideally can be completed in 30 days, or larger projects for up to $25,000 that would require some documentation to substantiate the investment and can be done in 90 days.

The funding comes from the province’s $50-million Long Term Recovery Fund that was announced last November. Some of that fund was already used on a $5-million program which rebated restaurants some of the cost of delivery services and a $9-million program launched in March that helped tourism operators with some of their fixed costs not covered by other support programs while they were closed.

Chuck Davidson, the CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, said the DMI was purposefully designed not to be onerous to apply for.

The expectation is that there will be strong demand, and Davidson said he’ll be happy if it is all allocated within 30 days.

“That would be terrific,” he said. “We think we could always go back to the province and show them there is an appetite for this and maybe we can look at additional funding to help more small businesses as they continue to recover from the pandemic.”

Making the announcement at the Surplus Market store within the Hudson’s Bay Co. store at Polo Park, Davidson said they are expecting lots of applications from retailers who may not have had a digital presence or need an e-commerce platform or an upgrade, or some equipment or training.

There has been plenty of evidence that the pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation for just about every sector of the economy. Davidson suggested that over the 19 month pandemic digitization has accelerated more than twice as fast as it would have during normal times.

A recent article from professional services company, Deloitte, entitled, Embracing digital: from survival to thriving in the post-COVID-19 world, said, “To grow and thrive in a post-COVID-19 world, swift digital transformation into a pandemic-proof organizational model is vital.”

Non-essential retailers that had no e-commerce capability found themselves completely out in the cold during code red shutdowns and many strategists say that consumers’ predisposition to shop online will mean that it is not likely it will revert back to a bricks and mortar preference to the same degree.

The non-repayable funding will address the issue that some economists have warned may be a problem for the Canadian economy — the timidity of Canadian businesses to invest in technology.

At one point on the DMI website www.digitalmanitobainitiative.com — where the easy-to-use online applications can be found — it states succinctly “business operators must be digitally literate.”

Subject matter experts will review the applications but it is open to every Manitoba enterprise regardless of size or success or sector. Eligibility is basically just proof that the applicant has a registered business in Manitoba.

Jon Reyes, Manitoba’s economic development and jobs minister, said the program offers a low-risk way for Manitoba businesses and non-profits to invest in and adapt digital technologies.

“This will enable local businesses and non-profit organizations to transition their operations to a digital platform,” he said. “It will allow them to provide goods and services online and allow Manitoba’s economy to better recover from COVID-19.”

The chamber has hired Kay Gardiner, a former long-time official with Tech Manitoba, to run the program.

 

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca