Question Period Note: How did the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) program help small business owners across Canada deal with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic?

How the RRRF has helped to support small businesses across Canada.

• The RRRF has helped thousands of small and medium-sized businesses that could not qualify for other government supports to pay their bills and their employees during the pandemic.

• Since RRRF launched in April 2020, the seven Regional Development Agencies and nearly 270 Community Futures organizations across Canada quickly delivered nearly $1.9 billion to more than 25,000 businesses and organizations, helping to protect almost 157,000 jobs.

• We earmarked 25 percent of this assistance to help the hard-hit tourism sector. As of December 31, 2021, almost five thousand tourism recipients received over $453 million.

• The RRRF application portal closed on June 30, 2021, with the program officially ending on March 31, 2022.
If pressed on RRRF Demand (44 words)

• We have supported a broad diversity of enterprises across the country, including more than 8,300 women owned businesses and over 800 Indigenous businesses.
Business Type
Approved Applications Approved Value
Rural 17,178 $797.5 million
Women-Owned 8,353 $426.8 million
Indigenous 805 $53.1 million
Tourism 4,843 $453.6 million

If pressed on RRRF Repayment (74 words)

• We know the pandemic’s effects linger on. That is why, on January 12, 2022, this government announced a one-year extension to the repayment deadline to receive partial forgiveness under the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund.

• It provides eligible recipients – those with Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) equivalent lending – with more flexibility to meet the new forgiveness deadline of December 31, 2023.

• All contributions are still required to be fully repaid by December 31, 2025.

If pressed on RRRF Audit (127 words)
• In late 2020, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) announced that it would be auditing the RRRF and four of the RDAs delivering the program: FedDev, FedNor, PacifiCan and PrairiesCan.

• This audit concluded in late 2021 when the OAG tabled Report 14 in the House of Commons. The audit indicated that the RRRF was successful in quickly providing support to thousands of businesses and organizations to ensure they remained viable.

• The OAG provided recommendations to enhance future program delivery and referred their report to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts’ (PACP) for further study.

• The PACP issued their report on June 20, 2022 and requested a Government Response within 120 days, to be tabled in the House of Commons by October 18, 2022.

The RRRF has helped thousands of small and medium-sized businesses that could not qualify for other government supports to pay their bills and their employees during the pandemic.

Since RRRF launched in April 2020, the seven Regional Development Agencies and nearly 270 Community Futures organizations across Canada quickly delivered nearly $1.9 billion to more than 25,000 businesses and organizations, helping to protect almost 157,000 jobs.