COVID-19 CARE TOURISM GRANT

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GOJ Care COVID-19 Tourism Grant - Closed.

GOJ Care COVID-19 Tourism Grant

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global economic shock of unprecedented proportions. The Government of Jamaica in response has created a $25 billion stimulus package aimed at sustaining the Jamaican economy amidst the impact of COVID-19. One element of the COVID-19 Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) Programme is the COVID-19 Tourism Grant of JMD $1.2 Billion. The Grant is aimed at providing assistance to businesses operating in tourism and other related sectors which have been impacted the Corona Virus. The aim of this fund, administered through the EXIM Bank (i.e receipt, review, evaluation and approval) , is to assist these entities with costs related to planning for and responding to the outbreak of COVID-19.

The Grant is expected to support and foster operational preparedness of the business, staff preparedness and ensuring a safe experience while operating the business. The request for the Grant must be towards ensuring that the business is COVID-19 ready.

Applicants are required to have a cash match of 10% of the grant amount requested . Please note this is not applicable if reimbursement is being requested.

Who can benefit from the Grant?

Small and Medium-sized businesses operating in the Tourism sector which are licensed by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) or registered with the Ministry of Tourism are eligible. The list of eligible tourism businesses are:

  • Apartments
  • Attractions
  • Bike Rentals
  • Car Rentals
  • Guest Houses
  • Home Stays
  • Hotels
  • Tour Operators
  • Water Sports Operators
  • In Bond Merchants (which have been granted an approval letter by the Jamaica Tourist Board)
  • Travel Agencies (licensed by the Ministry of Tourism)
  • Villas
  • Entities approved by the Ministry of Tourism under the Fiscal Incentives Act (FIA)

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants are required to submit the following documentation:

  • Fully Completed Application Form (linked below)
  •  Copy of JTB License or Ministry of Tourism Registration
  • Copy of TPDCo’s Product Quality Assessment Letter OR Certificate of Readiness from TPDCo
  • Copy of Valid Tax Compliance Certificate
  • Completed Credit Consent Form (linked below)
  • Audited Financial Statements OR Management Accounts for FYs 2018 & 2019
  • Management Accounts for Year-to-Date 2020
  • Proof of financial resources with respect to 10% minimum equity contribution e.g letter from financial institution and/or recent bank statement. Please note this is not applicable if reimbursement is being requested. 
  • Paid Invoices and/or proforma invoices to support grant requested
  • Copy of Employer’s Annual Returns (Form SO2) submitted to TAJ for 2019
  • Any other documents required to support the request to include copy of a valid photographic ID for the authorized person (s) signing the application form.

Grant Uses:

Grants will support the following requests:

  • Operational support including payroll, rent and utilities. Invoices which pre-date April 01, 2020 will not be eligible.
  • Staff Training. 
  • Payments to local suppliers.
  • Purchase of protective equipment and technology (for example, PPEs, masks, retrofitting, installation of sanitization stations, etc), and specialty cleaning supplies.
  • Purchase and implementation of contactless technology.
  • Expanded or modified operations to facilitate social distancing.
  • Development of collateral to communicate with guests about service/product changes due to heightened risk of exposure to COVID-19 (for example, health and safety signage).
  • Establishment of temporary sites for testing, isolation, or quarantine of affected individuals.

How To Apply?

To apply for the grant ensure all documentation requested above are available for upload with the Application Form.

Click ‘Apply Now’ and download the Application Form (application must not be completed in the web browser). Once downloaded, fill in the all information requested (the form is editable). Click the submit button and proceed to upload all other documentation requested to info@eximbankja.com.

We urge applicants to complete all sections of the Application Form and to submit all requested documents outlined above, as incomplete applications will NOT be considered. 

Applicants are required to have a cash match of 10% of the grant amount requested . Please note this is not applicable if reimbursement is being requested.

Applications closed on October 31, 2020.