Digital Main Street - 2022 Program Sponsorship - by Mayor John Tory, seconded by Councillor Michael Thompson

Digital Main Street is owned and operated by Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas. The City's continued support will be another important element in bringing about a strong post-pandemic recovery for Toronto. Since 2018 the City has provided funding for Digital Main Street's Digital Service Squads, through the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas, to provide hyperlocal targeted support to small businesses in Toronto. This service was initially focused on Business Improvement Areas but has since expanded to be able to assist main street businesses in neighbourhoods across the city. Digital Main Street currently has up to 10 Digital Service Squad members servicing businesses in Toronto as well as delivering bi-weekly workshops for Enterprise Toronto. In 2021 Digital Main Street assisted roughly 2,000 businesses in Toronto through its Digital Service Squad and workshops series. The Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas and Digital Main Street have also supported the development and launch of LocateHere with the City's Business Improvement Area Office, a platform to provide data analytics tools to local Business Improvement Areas. In 2022 and 2023 certain Digital Main Street staff will be focused on supporting businesses in underserved areas of Toronto not currently represented by Business Improvement Areas. These Digital Main Street Digital Service Squad staff will be trained by the City of Toronto's Business Improvement Area Office on various City (grant and assistance) programs available to small businesses, so that they can make the businesses they work with more aware of these supports and opportunities. This innovative approach is designed to take fuller advantage of the direct touch-points which Digital Main Street Digital Service Squad staff have with local business operators in their own communities. The City's Business Improvement Area Office will maintain regular communication with the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas and Digital Main Street to ensure deliverables are met, and will use various metrics (e.g. number of businesses supported, number of webinars delivered, number of neighborhoods canvassed, etc.) to assess and strengthen the impact of Toronto's investment in this evolving main street business development partnership. Funding to cover the City's financial commitment related to Digital Main Street is available in the Economic Development and Culture division's base Operating Budget. This Motion is urgent as it relates to reimbursement for on-going Digital Main Street programming for the 2022 calendar year.

Community and Social Services to negotiate, enter into and execute on behalf of the City a contribution / funding agreement with the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas for a two-year term with a contribution amount of up to $550,000 per annum, on such terms as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.