Program aimed at helping Canada's largest employment sector to withstand COVID-19

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug. 25, 2020 /CNW/ - FedEx Express Canada, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) today announced the recipients of the #SupportSmall grant initiative, a program which has awarded CAD $5,000 to 30 Canadian small businesses that have been affected by COVID-19. Full list of grant recipients can be found below.

With the retail landscape in Canada changing across all industries – and businesses of all shapes and sizes forced to adapt and pivot – the program awarded grants to companies across the country in a variety of sectors including hospitality, food and beverage, beauty and health care, entertainment, manufacturing, education, sports, fitness, recreation and artisanal crafts.

"Over the last four months, we've seen the habits of Canadians and consumers more broadly shift and evolve. To keep up with the rapidly changing situation, small business owners across Canada have had to digitize overnight – building new and expanding existing e-commerce platforms in order to both survive and also satisfy evolving consumer shopping preferences," said Lisa Lisson, President, FedEx Express Canada. "We're seeing wedding rental shops shift to selling socially distant celebration supplies online, local restaurants setting up their first delivery landing page, and furniture artisans selling their pieces internationally to increase revenue."

Of the 30 winners – 15 small businesses are based in Ontario, six in British Columbia, four from Alberta, three in Quebec, and two from New Brunswick – from metropolitan hubs to rural regions across the country. 

The full list of #SupportSmall grant recipients included:

The program ensured an easy and simple application process for candidates, with no restrictions for the recipients as to how they chose to allocate the funds – whether a business was looking to refresh its business model, shift to selling and shipping online, or simply needed to pay monthly expenses.

"Canada's small businesses are essential to our economic recovery and return. Their compelling business stories remind us that championing small businesses is fundamental to the Canadian economy and critical to the economic long-term health of our country. We are proud to do our part and provide some additional support to a few of the many deserving businesses across the country as part of our #SupportSmall program," said Lisson.

Small-business owners can always access the FedEx Small Business Centre to see FedEx's solutions and support offerings to help navigate the effects of COVID-19. The FedEx Small Business COVID-19 Resources page has additional resource information to help business owners navigate running a small company during the COVID-19 pandemic.

About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenue of $69 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 500,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com.

SOURCE FedEx Express Canada

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