Program Update: Thank you for your interest in the Securing Small Business Rebate Program and your patience as we applied some program changes. We are pleased to announce that the changes are now in place and the portal is open and accepting applications. See below for all details.
Background
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.
Program Timeline
The program’s application portal is now open and can be accessed here. The portal will remain open until January 31, 2025, or until the program is fully subscribed.
Rebate applications are retroactive to January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2024, and will be reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis.
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.
Rebates will be issued to successful applicants via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) in the period December 2023-February 2025, or until the program is fully subscribed.
Types of Rebates
The program offers two types of rebates:
1. Reparative Rebate
Provides immediate relief to offset eligible reparative costs in respect of damage to eligible commercial property due to vandalism on or after January 1, 2023.
Available as a one-time rebate of up to $2,000, per calendar year.
Retroactive to January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2024.
2. Preventative Rebate
Provides funding for eligible proactive/preventative measures to mitigate damage to eligible commercial property due to vandalism.
Available as a one-time rebate of up to $1,000.
Retroactive to January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2024.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for either rebate, a business must:
Be located in an area of British Columbia zoned for commercial, business, or light industry use; and
Have an exterior entrance (accessible directly from an outside area such as sidewalk, street or parking area), which serves as the primary access point for customers and clients; and
Have a B.C. Registration or Incorporation Number; and
Be in good standing with the Province of British Columbia; and
Have less than 50 employees at the time of the incident or at the time preventative work is undertaken, and
Not have received an alternative local rebate, grant or insurance claim (excluding the insurance deductibles) to cover the same expense.
1. Reparative Rebate
Applicants must provide:
Proof of damage, including:
Police file number* associated with the damage; and
Photos of damage; and
Insurance carrier name and policy number to demonstrate business insurance coverage.
Receipts from a third-party registered business for completed repair work clearly indicating equipment, supply, and labour costs; OR
Receipts for the cost of equipment and supplies purchased if the reparative measure was not installed by a third-party registered business.
*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.
Costs of repairing or replacing vandalized property not covered by insurance, including:
Window(s) and door(s)
Lock(s)
Graffiti removal
Associated installation fees
Other exterior damage to the property
Insurance deductibles to cover the cost of vandalized property including:
Window(s) and door(s)
Lock(s)
Graffiti removal
Other exterior damage to the property
**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.
2. Preventative Rebate
Applicants must provide:
Receipts from a third-party registered business for completed preventative work that clearly indicate equipment, supply, and labour costs; OR
Receipts for the cost of equipment and supplies purchased if the preventative measure was not installed by a third-party registered business.
Installation of new or enhancements to, for example:
Shatterproof glass or protective films
Locks
Impact protection attachment systems (for windows)
Exterior and interior security lighting
Cameras and recording/monitoring equipment
Alarm and monitoring system equipment
Anti-graffiti film, paints and/or coatings
Installation fees associated with approved preventative updates
Physical security audit of the exterior of the building
Other (including, but not limited to, security gates, pull-down protection shutters and/or permanent fencing)
**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.
Application Info Session
Interested in making a rebate application? Join us on May 7, 11.00am-12.00pm, to learn more about the program changes and how to apply for a rebate. Click here to register.
Next Steps
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.
January 31, 2025.
January 31, 2025.
No. Reparative rebates are up to $2,000. Preventative rebates are up to $1,000.
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.
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.
A business that has less than 50 employees at the time of the incident or at the time preventative work is undertaken.
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.
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.
Check with your municipality or local government.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes, the business information of applicants who receive a rebate may be shared with the Province of B.C. for verification.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes. If the installation is completed internally, only equipment and supplies purchased will be covered by the rebate.
No. However applicants must provide the name of their insurance company and policy number to demonstrate business insurance coverage.
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.
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:
Hosted on Microsoft Azure infrastructure using Azure B2C Authentication.
Uses layered security controls including a Web Application Firewall (WAF) Service with web application firewalls, software firewalls and network security groups, to protect against attacks from inside and outside the network.
Data management protocols that include ensuring data is encrypted using Microsoft Azure and AES 256 encryption standards for security of data while in transit and for data storage.
**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.
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.
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 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.
The business information of applicants who receive a rebate may be shared with the Province of B.C. for verification.
All rebate claims must exclude taxes (i.e. GST, PST).
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.
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.
Questions?
If you have questions not answered in the FAQs, please contact the BC Chamber of Commerce at [email protected].
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation.
