While one government grant program aimed at helping small businesses is coming to an end another is about to begin.

The new benefit replaces the Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant which has been very successful.

Jobs Minister Doug Schweitzer says it's a credit to the way it was drawn up.

"We've had over 50,000 businesses be part of the relaunch grant that we've had, we believe that this new program is going to be somewhere in the neighbourhood of 10,000 to 15,000 businesses across Alberta that will be eligible," he says.

The threshold for eligibility is the business must have fewer than 500 employees and have lost 60 per cent of its revenue.

"It's designed to make sure that it's based off of a drop in revenue, so a lot of this is going to be focused on the event industry, the tourism industry, depending on how you set up your business it could also help people in the restaurant business as well." Schweitzer.

He says the government wants to be there for businesses that have done their best to keep employees and customers safe.

Minister Schweitzer says Alberta business owners can get help by typing in three words "Alberta Biz Connect" on Goggle.

The Current program will be available until the end of March and then the new program kicks in.

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