Frequently Asked Questions

What businesses and not-for-profit organizations are eligible to receive funding through the Support to Small Business and Not-for-Profit Organizations Program?
 
The Support to Small Business and Not-for-Profit Organizations Program is available to small businesses and not-for-profit organizations that have been directly impacted by the flooding and extreme weather event in British Columbia in November 2021.  This generally means that area in which they were located was flooded.
 
What types of businesses can apply?
  In addition, applicants must:
  1. Have 50 employees or less. *
  2. Be located in the affected region of the province of British Columbia.
  3. Have been in operation on or before November 14, 2021
  4. Be registered at the time of the floods and remain in good standing with the BC Registry or with a municipal registry.
    1. Note: Federally registered charities must have been, at the time of the floods and remain, in good standing with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) at the time of the floods.
  5. Be financially vulnerable as a result of the flooding in November 2021
  6. Have resumed or are intending to resume operations.
  7. Have a net income of less than $350,000 (calculated as revenue less expenses). *
  8. Have the business as their primary source of income. *
  9. Have been impacted in one or more of the following ways:
    1. Were unable to operate the business or organization for 10 or more following the floods and extreme event that occurred in November 2021. 
    2. Have physical damage to building, equipment or inventory used for the operation of the business or organization that is directly attributable to the flood or extreme weather.
    3. Have experienced challenges operating the business or organization due to infrastructure issues (e.g. availability of potable water, road access to building for inventory/equipment deliveries or customer access)
* Does not apply to not-for-profit organizations.
 
How long is the application period?
Applications will be accepted from January 16, 2024, until April 30, 2024.
 
I am a home-based business. Am I eligible to apply?
Businesses that meet the minimum requirements listed above can apply for funding.
 
I’m having trouble accessing the online application form. What can I do?
The application system (SM Apply) works best when you use Google Chrome as the browser. As a first step, try opening it in Google Chrome. If you are still having trouble, please email us at BCSmallBizSupport@redcross.ca or call us at 1-833-966-4225 Monday to Friday, between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm, PT. (except weekend and stat holidays)
 
I do not have an email address. Can I still apply?
Please contact us to indicate that you would like assistance in completing the application by phone. We can be reached at 1-833-966-4225 from Monday to Friday between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm PT (except weekend and stat holidays)
 
How long does the application form take to complete?
The online application should take about 15-20 minutes at the most to complete. You can also save it in the system and come back to it later if needed.
 
Who can I contact for help with the application?
You can email us at BCSmallBizSupport@redcross.ca for assistance with your application.
 
Will anyone ask me for banking information?
Banking information is not required to apply for this program. If your application is approved, we may ask for banking information to transfer funds to you. You will receive a message from us along with instructions. If you have any questions, or if you would like to validate that the message you received is legitimate, you can always contact us by email at BCSmallBizSupport@redcross.ca or by calling at 1-833-966-4225 Monday to Friday, between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm, PT (except weekend and stat holidays).