Small businesses can apply for help with vandalism costs

General insurance licensees may be interested in informing their clients of a new provincial rebate. The rebate helps small businesses to cover expenses relating to commercial property crime and vandalism repairs, or to implement preventative measures.

The Securing Small Business Rebate Program, introduced by the provincial government and administered by the BC Chamber of Commerce, provides as much as $2,000 per business for the cost of repairs due to vandalism, and up to $1,000 for prevention measures. Eligible reparative expenses include the cost of repairing and replacing vandalized property not covered by insurance, as well as insurance deductibles to cover the cost of vandalized windows, doors, locks, graffiti removal and other exterior damage to property. Eligible preventative expenses include security gates and shutters, shatterproof glass or protective film, alarm and monitoring systems, exterior lighting enhancements, anti-graffiti materials, and others.

The program’s application portal launches November 22, 2023, and remains open until January 31, 2025. Rebate applications are retroactive to January 1, 2023, through to December 31, 2024, and will be reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis. More information and a downloadable application guide are available on the BC Chamber of Commerce’s website.