PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Kakivak extends $1.5M COVID-19 Business Relief & Wage Subsidy Programs created with support from QIA

Posted June 11, 2020

In COVID Media, COVID Post, COVID19, Media Releases

DATE ISSUED: June 11, 2020

EVENT: Kakivak extends $1.5M COVID-19 Business Relief & Wage Subsidy Programs created with support from QIA

Kakivak’s Qikiqtani Covid-19 Business Relief and Emergency Wage Subsidy programs will be extended to the end of September 2020. The extension will allow more Inuit-owned businesses to access the emergency supports and retain their Inuit employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With assistance from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA), Kakivak Association allocated $1.5 million to create two temporary COVID-19 programs to help address the needs of the smallest, most vulnerable Inuit-owned businesses in the Qikiqtani Region, and to help ensure that Inuit remain employed.

The $1 million Qikiqtani COVID-19 Emergency Wage Subsidy Program launched in mid-April provides urgent wage subsidies to assist struggling businesses in the Qikiqtani Region avoid the lay-off of Inuit employees.

The $500,000 Qikiqtani COVID-19 Business Relief Program provides small Inuit-owned businesses in the Region direct support for operating expenses to enable them to survive the negative impacts of the pandemic.

The Qikiqtani COVID-19 Emergency Wage Subsidy Program provides up to $20.00 per hour for each employee that would be laid off without the subsidy. There is also up to $1,500 available for training per employee for businesses who use this time to bolster their staff’s skills.

The Qikiqtani COVID-19 Business Relief Program will provide non-repayable contributions of up to $25,000 for each eligible applicant.

Businesses that have been forced to lay-off staff, close, or have a significant decrease in revenues can apply for one or both programs to help maintain their operations and staff for the period commencing March 15 to September 30.

In order to be considered for support applicants must be able to demonstrate the need for assistance by providing details on the current status of their business as well as information about the normal fixed operating costs of their business, such as:

Wages
Rent
Heat
Electricity
Communications
Licenses and insurance

Each applicant must submit the completed application forms as well as the required supporting documentation.

The money for the Qikiqtani COVID-19 Emergency Wage Subsidy Program comes from Kakivak’s existing wage subsidy program funded through the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program agreement.

The funding for the Qikiqtani COVID-19 Business Relief Program comes from a reserve of unspent Sivummut Funds transferred to Kakivak by QIA.

The application forms are available at:

Qikiqtani COVID-19 Emergency Wage Subsidy Program www.kakivak.ca

http://kakivak.ca/Kakivak_Qikiqtani_Covid-19%20Wage_Subsidy_Application%20April_EN.pdf

The Qikiqtani COVID-19 Business Relief Program www.kakivak.ca

http://kakivak.ca/Kakivak-Qikiqtani_Covid19_Business_Relief_Program_Application_EN.pdf

For more information, please contact:

Qikiqtani Inuit Association:

Sima Sahar Zerehi, Director of Communications,

Qikiqtani Inuit Association

szerehi@qia.ca

867.975.8413