Queensland small businesses can now apply for a up to $10,000 grant under a new $100 million package to help them counter the impact of COVID-19.

The package was announced today as part of Queensland’s Economic Recovery Strategy: Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the new grants program had been developed to assist those small businesses forced into hibernation, to restructure or to significantly change their business operations or move online.

“Small businesses represent 97 per cent of all businesses and employ over 970,000 people or 45 per cent of the State’s private sector workforce,” the Premier said.

“We know small businesses have been doing it really tough due to the pandemic.

“With the first stage of our recovery roadmap in place, we want to make sure our thousands of small businesses have the support they need to recover and keep Queenslanders in jobs,” the Premier said.

“These grants will provide immediate support to help them get back on their feet and come out stronger on the other side.”

Minister for Employment and Small Business Shannon Fentiman said the new Small Business Adaption Grants* will assist businesses impacted by COVID-19 to be more resilient and recover.

“Small businesses, including micro businesses, can apply for a share in the grants program to help pay for financial, legal or other professional advice, marketing and communications activities and digital or technology strategy development.

“The grants can also be used to buy specialised digital equipment or business specific software to help move the business online.

“Many events, workplaces, classes and sales have moved online and small businesses need to make sure they have the tools and resources to be competitive in these challenging times.

“We also realise that businesses may not currently have the financial resources to co-fund, so we won’t require matched funding which will better support our local businesses.”

The Palaszczuk Government will provide up to $10,000 for each project.

The Small Business Adaption Grants will be funded through the $500 million Worker Assistance Package, which includes rapid delivery of projects to assist those who have lost their jobs or income and small businesses adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assistance currently available for our small businesses include:

• Six-month rent relief for govt building tenants
• Land tax relief for commercial property owners which must be passed onto tenants in the form of rent relief
• Payroll tax relief – 2 month refund, 3 month holiday, 6 month deferral – most businesses will not pay payroll tax for 2020
• $500 energy rebates for small and medium sized businesses
• $500 million in interest free loans
• Waiving of liquor licence fees
• Free one on one mentoring
• Free business resilience workshops at TAFE
• 15 free online TAFE courses available through Jobs Finder portal

Applications are open now and will close when funding has been exhausted.

The $100 million support package includes $96 million in Small Business Adaption Grants and $4 million in new training for business. More information on this will be available soon.

For information on how to apply and eligibility, visit www.business.qld.gov.au

Source
Media Statement
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk
Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development
The Honourable Shannon Fentiman
Tuesday, May 19, 2020

AQIA Comment

*Comment from the Active Queenslanders Industry Alliance (AQIA)

The grants could benefit small businesses in the Fitness, Sport and Recreation sector and can be used towards the following:

• financial, legal or other professional advice to support business sustainability and diversification
• strategic planning, financial counselling or business coaching aligned to business development and diversification
• building the business through marketing and communications activities, for example, content development (web pages, mobile apps, visual and audio media etc.)
• digital/technological strategy development
• digital training or re-training to adapt to new business models
• capital costs associated with meeting COVID-19 safe requirements
• specialised digital equipment or business specific software to move business operations online (e.g. logistics program for online ordering)
• meeting business costs, including utilities, rent.

Click for more information https://www.business.qld.gov.au/starting-business/advice-support/grants/adaption