Digital Service Squad receives $195,000 grant to help support more small businesses

Fri, 07 Oct 2022

The Digital Service Squad (DSS) in Oakville is continuing to help small businesses with their online presence. Thanks to a $195,000 grant the Town of Oakville and the Bronte Village BIA, Downtown Oakville BIA, Kerr Village BIA, and Oakville Chamber of Commerce received recently from the Digital Main Street (DMS) program, the local squad now has three trained specialists that can help support small businesses as they digitally transform how they promote and run their business.

Since launching in 2019, the local DSS has assisted more than 500 businesses in Oakville through grants, webinars, and one-on-one consultations – all designed to build their digital knowledge and skills. This additional grant funding allows the squad to continue that work until March 2024 and help more local businesses adopt online technologies to improve sales, marketing, and back-office operations. 

Digital Transformation Grants

Small businesses in Oakville and across Ontario are encouraged to apply for a $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant through the DMS program. The process is simple:

1. Create an account to register the business for Digital Transformation Grant and complete the digital assessment.
2. Pass the pre-qualification quiz, complete the 2.5 hours of online training, and develop a Digital Transformation Plan.
3. Submit your application for a $2,500 grant.

The online application portal for the Digital Transformation Grant is open until October 31, 2022. There are a limited number of grants available, so businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The DSS is also available to assist businesses with the development of their Digital Transformation Plan and then with their DMS grant application.

Quotes

“More than 500 local businesses have enhanced their online presence thanks to the Digital Main Street program and with the additional $195,000 in funding, our Digital Services Squad can continue helping more small businesses in Oakville transform digitally over the next two years. If you are a small business owner and haven’t met with our Digital Service Squad yet, I would encourage you to reach out to them for one-on-one support and online marketing expertise.”

Mayor Rob Burton

“Small businesses are innovative and entrepreneurial, but often lack the resources to respond to change, be resilient, yet flexible. OBIAA is delighted to work once again alongside the Digital Main Street team and is thrilled to support Oakville’s squad. The Digital Main Street program’s resources, grants, training, and Digital Service Squad assistance provide the means for more small businesses in communities across Oakville to adopt innovative ways, create new revenue streams, expand their markets, and face the future with optimism and confidence.”

Kay Matthews, Executive Director, Ontario BIA Association

Background

• DMS is a program that helps brick-and-mortar small businesses achieve digital transformation. The program is built around an online learning platform, structured training programs, and the Digital Service Squad – a team of street-level team members who help brick-and-mortar small businesses, at no cost, to grow and manage their operations through technology. 
• DMS was created by the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) with direct support from the City of Toronto. DMS is also supported by a group of strategic business partners, including Google, Mastercard, Shopify, Microsoft, Facebook, Intuit QuickBooks, Square, and Lightspeed. The program is delivered Pan Canada in support of small business thanks to the support of all three levels of government. Visit the Digital Main Street website to learn more.
• In September 2021, the Town of Oakville, local BIAs and the Oakville Chamber of Commerce received a $75,000 grant from Digital Main Street to expand the Digital Service Squad.
• Learn more about the Digital Service Squad’s free services or book a consultation, visit the Invest Oakville website.