Recognizing the increased costs to businesses due to property crime and vandalism in rural and urban communities across the province, the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation has launched its $10.5 million Securing Small Business Rebate Program, which will provide small businesses with funds for eligible commercial property crime and vandalism repairs, or to implement eligible preventative measures.
The BC Chamber of Commerce will administer the rebate program and leverage its provincial network of 100 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and its myriad industry partners, including Business Improvement Areas, to ensure businesses from every sector and region of the province are aware of the rebate.
The program offers two types of rebates:
To be eligible for either rebate, a business must:
Applicants must provide:
* If the rebate application is for graffiti removal in the City of Burnaby, applicants must report the incident through the City's Graffiti Online Form. The City will provide a file number that will be accepted under the police file number field in the portal.
Eligible reparative expenses** Note: Expenses associated with in-house labour costs, theft or damaged inventory, supplies, equipment, and personal belongings are out of scope and do not qualify as eligible reparative expenses.
Applicants must provide:
Installation of new or enhancements to, for example:
** Note: Expenses associated with in-house labour costs, cosmetic property enhancements, in-store equipment/furniture and items for non-business locations (i.e. residential/outside eligible areas), are out of scope and do not qualify as eligible preventative expenses.
Interested in making a rebate application? Join us on Thursday, November 21, 11.00am-12.00pm. to learn more about the program and how to apply for a rebate. Click here to register.
Download the following resources that outline the information and documents required to complete your application.
A rebate application, if successful, will be screened, reviewed, approved, and paid in 35 business days, provided there is limited follow up with the applicant during the screening and review processes.
2. When will the portal stop accepting applications in respect of January 1-December 31, 2023?January 31, 2025.
3. When will the portal stop accepting applications in respect of January 1-December 31, 2024?January 31, 2025.
4. If an eligible expense > $1,000 or > $2,000, will the program pay the full amount?No. Reparative rebates are up to $2,000. Preventative rebates are up to $1,000.
5. Can I apply for a reparative rebate and a preventative rebate?Yes. You may apply for a reparative rebate twice i.e. for 2023 and 2024. You may apply for a preventative rebate only once i.e. for either 2023 or 2024.
6. To be eligible for either rebate, businesses should be in good standing with the Province of British Columbia. What does this mean?
It means businesses should not be in arrears to the Province of British Columbia for any taxes or other outstanding amounts. If you are unsure about your business' good standing, please ask your bookkeeper, accountant or tax advisor. Businesses are not required to submit a Certificate of Good Standing as part of their application.
7. How is a small business defined?A business that has less than 50 employees at the time of the incident or at the time preventative work is undertaken.
8. What constitutes an employee?An employee on payroll at the time the incident took place or when preventative measures were installed regardless of whether they are full time or part time. A contractor is not considered an employee.
9. Is a not-for-profit organization eligible?A not-for-profit organization is eligible if 51% or more of the organization’s gross revenues, not including donations, membership fees or sponsorship funds, comes from the sales of goods or services.
10. Where can I check if my property is zoned for commercial, business, or light industry use?Check with your municipality or local government.
11. I own a business and have multiple locations; can I apply for each location?Only one application can be submitted for each B.C. Registration or Incorporation Number.
Note: You may apply for a reparative rebate twice i.e. for 2023 and 2024. You may also apply for a preventative rebate but only once i.e. for either 2023 or 2024.
12. Is a police report a necessary requirement for the reparative rebate?No. A police report is not a requirement. However, a police file number associated with the incident must be provided otherwise the business will not be eligible for the rebate. Haven’t reported the incident? It’s never too late. Click here for more details.
13. Once an application is successful, how will payment be received?Once an application has been approved, a rebate will be paid via an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Your banking information will be collected during the application process so the funds can be transferred to your account.
14. What is an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)?An Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is the electronic transfer of money from one bank account to another, either within a single financial institution or across multiple institutions, via computer-based systems, without the direct intervention of bank staff.
15. Will the government audit the information submitted to the portal?Yes, the business information of applicants who receive a rebate may be shared with the Province of B.C. for verification.
16. What is the B.C. Registration or Incorporation Number and where do I find it?The B.C. Registration or Incorporation Number consists of one or two letters and seven numbers. For example, FM1234567 denotes a sole proprietorship or general partnership, BC1234567 denotes an incorporated company and LL1234567 denotes a limited liability partnership. While there are others, the majority of companies registered in BC are sole proprietorships/general partnerships and incorporated companies. Companies can confirm their number on OrgBook BC at https://orgbook.gov.bc.ca/.
Federally registered companies conducting business in BC are required to register in BC as an extra-provincial company. These companies will be assigned a BC Registration or Incorporation number, identifiable by the prefix 'A' followed by seven numbers (e.g., A1234567). However, registration numbers provided by other provinces (rather than by the federal government) will not be accepted.
17. Are strata corporations eligible for the rebate(s)?No. Strata corporations are created under the Strata Property Act and not the Business Corporations Act. As such, the Registrar of Companies does not regulate strata corporations, and strata corporations do not have a B.C. Business Registration Number.
18. Is an environmental design survey eligible for a preventative rebate?Environmental design utilizes natural obstacles, such as hedges, to impede crime by limiting access. As it may be difficult to differentiate from general landscaping, an environmental design survey is not eligible.
19. Does a physical security audit include an audit of internal areas?No. A physical security audit pertains to the exterior of the building and does not include software audits, an audit of internal areas, or an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) audit.
20. Can I apply for the rebates using my cell phone?Yes. However, applicants are strongly advised to use a desktop computer to apply for the rebates as there may be limitations using a cell phone when uploading documents and photo evidence.
21. Can two incidents in same calendar year be claimed together (under reparative) to claim the max of $2,000?
No. Applicants may claim only one incident per calendar year under the reparative stream. However, the incident may involve multiple expenses that can be covered up to the maximum of $2,000.
22. Can multiple expenses be claimed on the same Preventative Rebate application?Yes. Applicants may submit only one application for a Preventative Rebate, however, the application may include multiple expenses that can be covered up to the maximum of $1,000.
Note: If the preventative measures were not installed by a third-party registered business, only the cost of equipment and supplies purchased will be covered by the rebate.
23. Can an owner do installation themselves and just submit the receipts for items purchased?Yes. If the installation is completed internally, only equipment and supplies purchased will be covered by the rebate.
24. For a reparative rebate, is a business required to claim the incident through insurance?No. However applicants must provide the name of their insurance company and policy number to demonstrate business insurance coverage.
25. Do rebates need to be declared when renewing insurance?Businesses need to have insurance and provide name of their insurance company and policy number to apply for a rebate. Businesses can check with their insurance providers if they have any further questions about how receipt of a rebate may/may not impact insurance renewal.
26. Is it safe to load banking data into the online portal?The online portal is a Canadian third-party vendor portal used by non-profit organizations and provincial governments in the administration of various grant and rebate programs and meets the security requirements of the BC Chamber of Commerce and those government bodies. Key security features of the portal include:
** Note: Microsoft has ISO 27001 (international information security standard), ISO/IEC 27017 (information security controls for cloud services) and ISO/IEC 27018 (privacy standard for cloud services) certifications and uses intrusion detection, penetration testing, data analytics, and machine learning to constantly strengthen its defence and reduce risks related to its Cloud service.
27. What’s the difference between the Securing Small Rebate Program (SSBR) and the Anti-Hate Community Support Fund (AHCSF)?
The SSBR is specifically for businesses with less than 50 employees and provides relief from the cost of repairs or preventative measures, as a result of property crime and vandalism. The AHCSF is designed to support not-for profit and charity organizations, such as places of worship or cultural community centres, that have sustained damages to their site(s) or are seeking to enhance security measures in and around their site(s) as a result of hate-motivated crimes, or incidents.
28. Can businesses apply for relief under the Securing Small Rebate Program (SSBR) and the Anti-Hate Community Support Fund (AHCSF)?
No. To be eligible for the Securing Small Business Rebate, a business must not have received an alternative rebate or grant to cover the same expense. It is unlikely that an applicant will meet the criteria of both programs.
The business information of applicants who receive a rebate may be shared with the Province of B.C. for verification.
29. Do I claim the total rebate with or without sales tax (GST/PST)?All rebate claims must exclude taxes (i.e. GST, PST).
30. Can a business submit ongoing subscriptions or monthly fees for alarm systems?No. Ongoing subscriptions or monthly fees for alarm systems are not eligible. For clarity, only the equipment associated with the alarm is covered by the rebate.
31. Are Cyber Security measures covered under the rebate program?No. Cyber Security is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. This is not considered a vandalism repair or property crime and is out of scope for this program.
If you have questions not answered in the FAQs, please contact the BC Chamber of Commerce at [email protected] .
