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The Ontario Government is continuing its support of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by creating a new, four-year, $8 million Ontario Craft Brewers Opportunity Fund (OCBOF).

The new Opportunity Fund builds on the current five-year, $5 million Ontario Microbrewery Strategy that provides financial assistance to the Ontario Craft Brewers Association, also known as Ontario Craft Brewers, for marketing, training and other promotion activities for Ontario's small brewers.

Approximately 40 licensed Ontario small brewers with operations across the province will be eligible to participate in the new program.

KEY FEATURES

• A maximum $1.8 million available in 2008-09 and for each of the next three years for all Ontario small brewers producing less than 300,000 hectolitres of beer annually.
• Licensed Ontario small brewers will be eligible for grants of up to 6 cents per litre for sales of their craft beer in Ontario, to a maximum of $1 million per brewery annually.
• Funding to be used to support business development and expansion.
• $200,000 annually to be provided to Ontario Craft Brewers Association for continued marketing and promotion of the industry.

The OCBOF will be administered by the Ministry of Small Business and Consumer Services. The Ministry will work closely with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and other partners to deliver the program.

Further details, including application guidelines, will be released to all licensed Ontario small brewers in the near future.

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