Business Resources

Business Improvement Association

A Business Improvement Association (BIA) is a formal group typically made up of commercial property owners and tenants in a specific area. They work together under a volunteer-run Board of Management (BIA Board) to make improvements and promote economic development in their designated area. BIAs are financed by a special tax levied on businesses in the designated area, and the City funds a percentage of capital projects undertaken by the BIAs for streetscaping.

BIAs are proven to help businesses grow and collaborate with their neighbours, as well as help solve pressing issues in the BIA’s area. While the GTA boasts more BIAs than any other urban area in North America, Scarborough only has one – I would love to see more.

For more information about BIAs, click here.

Funding

The City of Toronto, Province of Ontario, and Government of Canada have a wide range of business improvement and development funds designed to help grow and maintain small and existing businesses across Toronto. See below for a starter list of funds and click on the titles of each fund for more information.