The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ is about to launch the second round of support grants for small businesses in the city’s core.
The Connect Grant program is designed to help build sustainability for business owners working hard to stay afloat during the pandemic. The program was first launched late last year and matched nearly 60 small businesses who needed help, with other downtown businesses that could provide it.
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned through this pandemic, it’s that we’re stronger together,” said Kate Fenske, CEO of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ. “The Connect Grant has facilitated relationship building and strengthened the downtown community. That helps build the foundation for our post-pandemic recovery.”
One of the 57 businesses that received support is Human Bean.
“The support we received during this pandemic from the BIZ and Tandem Collaborative has been so helpful to us as a business,” said Gina Wildeman, co-owner of Human Bean Coffee & Tea. “They really listened to our needs and provided us with tools that will be extremely valuable to our growth as a business.”
Human Bean, located in Cityplace, needed help with marketing and business strategy and was matched with downtown business Tandem Collaborative. Through the Connect Grant, Tandem provided Human Bean with a social media marketing strategy, hands-on training, professional photos and help with promoting the small business online.
Businesses can apply for the grant through the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ website.
