MEDIA RELEASE: MCC and the Province of Manitoba set to re-open funding for the Digital Manitoba Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 11, 2022

The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce (MCC) in partnership with the Province of Manitoba announced today they are preparing to re-open the funding application process for the Digital Manitoba Initiative (DMI) help Manitoba SMEs and not-for-profit organizations with digital transformation.

Delivered and administered by the MCC, the $15 million DMI launched in October 2021 through the Province of Manitoba’s $50-million Long-Term Recovery Fund. Intake for the initial round of digital adaptation grants closed after just one week due to overwhelming response. More than 1,000 applications have been assessed and more than 700 applications have been processed, representing approximately $7 million allocated to ensure Manitoba businesses are keeping pace with technology adaptation.

“We are pleased with the diversity of organizations from across the province which have participated in the DMI, and impressed with the creativity and innovation of the proposed projects,” said Honourable Cliff Cullen, Minister of Economic Development, Investment and Trade. “Our government’s commitment to the Digital Manitoba Initiative can ensure that even more businesses are supported with digital enhancements and transformation, contributing to Manitoba’s economic recovery from COVID-19 and enhancing our long-term competitiveness.”

The DMI’s second round application process will provide two levels of grants to support immediately actionable projects including upskilling and training, and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis in each stream:

• TechUP – Reimbursement grant up to $5,000 for digital tools, which could include e-commerce enablement, touchless payment systems, advanced software, hardware for content creation and product promotion, investing in courses on digital marketing, branding and social advertising.
• PowerUP – Reimbursement grant up to $25,000 toward digital strategy, which could include new business models, processes and operations, improvements to client/customer experience and increase productivity, cloud migration, organizational training, technology upgrades, and procurement of technical support services.

TechUP will reopen first, on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 12 PM CST, and we are targeting early March 2022 for the re-opening of the PowerUP application portal. DMI will run until it is fully subscribed and all funds have been allocated.

“We are anticipating an even stronger response to this round of funding and we encourage businesses to prepare in advance for the application process by leveraging the checklist and information available on the DMI website,” says Chuck Davidson, President and CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. “We are looking forward to more Manitoba companies being able to take advantage of this opportunity.”

DMI funding will be open to Manitoba owned and operated businesses and not-for-profit organizations in good standing with the Manitoba Companies Office and operating prior to March 1, 2020.

To check your eligibility for DMI funding and to learn about the application process, visit: digitalmanitobainitiative.com