Up to $500k Available for Organizations in Atlantic Canada Seeking to Enhance Downtown Cores and Neighbourhoods

Through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Rediscover Main Streets initiative is supporting the economy by helping Atlantic Canadians re-experience their main streets, downtowns and neighbourhoods, no matter how big or small. This initiative will reanimate and breathe new life into local economies affected by the global pandemic, as well as help generate new ideas that inspire locals and tourists alike to rediscover all that their main streets, downtowns and neighbourhoods have to offer.

Eligible Applicants

• Not-for-profit organizations, including Indigenous organizations
• Crown corporations
• Provincial/municipal/territorial governments
• Economic development associations
• Post-secondary educational institutions

Eligible Projects

Applicants can submit projects that involve:

• Activation
  • Development of new products, offerings, and local experiences to activate and animate downtown cores and community main streets
• Amplification
  • Scaling of existing events, adaptation of products, product clustering, diversification, follow-on to existing campaigns (buy/shop local), and innovation to existing offerings to enable local businesses support and encourage visitation

• Marketing and Promotion
  • Building awareness, promotional marketing activities, packaging and signage. Projects include those that help promote reanimating downtowns and main streets

Eligible Costs

The Rediscover Main Streets initiative covers the following:

• Cost of labour and of material used
• New operating costs directly related to the project
• Professional and technical service fees
• Advisory expenses (such as planning, business information or counselling services)
• Costs related to coaching, mentoring, or networking events
• Fees associated with participation in business training through a business service organization
• Costs related to expanding or maintaining markets
• Subcontracting costs
• Production and distribution of promotional materials and management tools
• Production of management tools

Funding Details

• Projects with a targeted scope could receive $25,000 to $500,000
• Projects with a broader, regional impacts could receive more on a case-by-case basis

Deadline

Applications must be submitted by April 29, 2022, 11:59 P.M. (ADT).