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Welcome to the new Norfolk County Business Bulletin, the monthly newsletter for Norfolk's business community! You'll receive all the latest news and updates from Norfolk's Economic Development team, delivered straight to your inbox. Let us know what you think at business@norfolkcounty.ca.
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Download the Mobile Visit App Today Do you have a major Norfolk tourism event upcoming? Do you offer a tourism product? Do you have a special offer or a product discount?
Let us include it on our Visit Norfolk App. Lauded by users, the App is the place to get the word out. Let us update your profile. For all Norfolk Visit App updates please call ext 1264 or email our team.
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NORFOLK COMMUNITY DAY
Full of community activities on June 18
Join us for the first-ever Norfolk Community Day on June 18 to re-connect and celebrate all things Norfolk! From free swims, fire hall tours, live music, llamas, pickleball tournaments, food, and more. The event will coincide to include museum and library programs in addition to the Simcoe Seniors’ Centre Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and an Outdoor Music & Movie Night at the Delhi Friendship Centre. For regular updates, keep checking the website.
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Ukrainian Workers Bus Tour – June 14, 2022
Are you hiring or looking for a solution to labour challenges? Norfolk’s Economic Development Department is working on a bus tour of recent newcomers to Canada. Please send us a list of your job openings and the skillset that you require and we will prescreen the candidates before they arrive on the bus tour. For more information call 519-426-5870 ext 1264 or email Economic Development.
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Norfolk County Council Declares 2022 “The Year of the Garden”
Norfolk County has declared 2022 as the Year of the Garden. We want to hear your ideas on ways that you or your organization can celebrate the Year of The Garden (YOG). We want to share engagement and initiatives being undertaken in the community through Norfolk Tourism’s social channels and a common hashtag. To share your event, celebration or promotion with Norfolk County, fill-in the Year of the Garden event notification form below
Need more infomation? Contact us here.
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Friday the 13th in Port Dover
Port Dover's Friday the 13th is back like it has always been. Please familiarize yourself with the road closures and plans for the day.
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Business Visitation
Our Business Visitation program continues.
Do you have an expansion or growth idea you want to implement or a new market you wish to break into?
Are you facing a challenge and wish to get an independent opinion?
Contact us at 519-426-5870 ext 1264 or book a meeting here.
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Sign Up for Shop Norfolk and Sell Online Today
Looking for an easy way to add the option for online sales?
Staff is standing by to walk you through the process for our Shop Norfolk program.
More information here. Or email our team.
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Community Improvement Plan (CIP) Program
Norfolk County Council has approved the continuation of the CIP program
If you have a property that needs upgrade and improvement, you may qualify for a municipal grant.
The program is a 50/50 matching fund program that can be used for Façade improvement, accessibility upgrades and more.
More information on the CIP program can be found here.
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| | Assistance for Businesses
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|  Government Funding Opportunities
Tourism Relief Fund Grant
URGENT REMINDER Application deadline is May 15, 2022.Open to Not-for-profits,Corporations (SMEs), Municipalities and Indigenous businesses.
Grants avaiable from $20,000 to $100,000. Eligible costs are retroactive to April 19, however all projects must be completed by December 31, 2022.
Additional information can be found at this link.
Summer Company Up to $3000 for students to operate a business during the summer. Students must be returning to school after the summer. Program includes free business training from experienced advisors and mentorship from local business leaders.
More information here.
Starter Company Plus
A grant for $5000 for small start-up businesses with one-on-one mentorship. Participate in six free business workshopslearning about business planning, marketing plan, budgeting and cashflow projections
Learn how to create your own business plan andfinancial forecasts
More information can be found here.
Business Support Services
Did the pandemic give you pause and now you have a brilliant business idea but don’t know where to start?
Have you realized new opportunities for your business since the pandemic and need a plan of action?
Are you gearing up to bounce back bigger and stronger or just need a bit of a nudge to get you over the hump?
Venture Norfolk can help you with free business consulting and business loans to you turn your business idea into a reality. More information can be found here.
Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF)
Round 10 opens opens July 12, 2022. This fund is for employers considering a large capital investment
SWODF Application Period:
- Application opening: July 12 – August 25, 2022
- Eligibility checklist due before: August 11, 2022
- Application deadline: August 25, 2022
- Application assessment period: August 29, 2022 – November 23, 2022
- Notification date: November 23, 2022
More information available here.
Changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker ProgramThe government is implementing five key policy changes which respond to current labour and skills shortages.
These include:
- Removing the limit to the number of low-wage positions that employers in seasonal industries, such as fish and seafood processing, can fill through the TFW Program.
- Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA’s) will be valid for 18 months, an increase from nine months.
- For seven sectors with demonstrated labour shortages, such as Accommodation and Food Services, employers will be allowed to hire up to 30% of their workforce through the TFW Program for low-wage positions for one year. All other employers will be allowed to hire up to 20 percent of their workforce through the TFW Program for low-wage positions until further notice, an increase from the former 10 percent cap for many employers.
- The Government will end the current policy that automatically refuses LMIA applications for low-wage occupations in the Accommodation and Food Services and Retail Trade sectors in regions with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher.
More Information can be found here.
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Free welding training program launched
Free welding training is being offered to give 150 people a head start to work as welders, helping meet the needs of local companies hungry for workers.
The Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie will provide the program through its Skills2Advance Welding training arm, in partnership with the CWB Welding Foundation. Training will be delivered at four area colleges: Six Nations Polytechnic, Conestoga College, Fanshawe College (Simcoe campus) and Mohawk College.
The two-week-long classes start in June and will be offered regularly over the next year.
Two-thirds of participants for the free welding training are expected to be women, a group that is underrepresented in the skilled trades.
Contact the Skills2Advance team to learn more or to get involved.
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What is Your Perception of Ontario as a Destination for
2SLGBT+ Travellers?
If you identify as 2SLGBT+, we want to hear from you! To help us understand perceptions of Ontario as a destination for 2SLGBT+ travellers, please click the button below and complete the short survey by June 30th. Please forward the link to anyone who identifies as part of the 2SLGBT+ community across the globe!
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