The purpose of the Queensland Government’s “Small Business Covid-19 Adaption Grant Program” is to support small businesses subject to closure or who have been highly impacted by covid-19 enforced shutdown restrictions. This program aims to help small businesses to adapt and sustain their operations, whilst building resilience.

The program aspires to help small and micro businesses; prepare for the safe resumption of trading in the post covid-19 recovery, continue to meet operating costs, access digital technologies to rebuild business operations and transition to a new way of doing business.

The program also aims to help small and micro business with; responding to online opportunities, where possible, to sustain employment and maintain potential for longer-term growth. Aims to upskill and reskill business owners and staff to benefit from new technologies or business models. Assists with embracing business diversification to adapt and sustain operations and plans to assist opportunities which will create and obtain employment.

Funding Applications for Regional Businesses

To be defined as a ‘regional business’, your principal place of business must be in a local government area within Queensland that is not identified as a South East Queensland (SEQ) location.

You are a ‘regional business’ if your principal place of business is in a local government area within Queensland that isnot identified as a South East Queensland (SEQ) location.

You are in a SEQ location if your principal place of business is located in 1 of these local government areas: Brisbane City Council, Ipswich City Council, Lockyer Valley Regional Council, Logan City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Noosa Shire Council, Redlands City Council, Scenic Rim Regional Council, Somerset Regional Council, Sunshine Coast Council or Toowoomba Regional Council.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to receive funding for the grant your business must: have been subject to closure or otherwise highly impacted by current shutdown restrictions announced by Queensland’s Chief Health Officer on Monday 23^rd March 2020. Your business must have also experienced a minimum decline of 30 percent since Monday 23^rd March 2020 and have over a minimum of 1-month period due to the onset and management of the covid-19 pandemic.

Your business must also employ staff and have fewer than 20 employees at the time of when you are applying for the grant. Employees must be on your payroll and does not include the business owner or owners. Your business must have a valid Australian Business Number (ABN) which was active on March 23^rd 2020 and your business must be registered for GST, have a Queensland based headquarters, have an annual turnover over $75,000 for the 2018–19 or 2019–20 financial year, or you can provide financial records that show this will be met for recently started small businesses. Your business must also have a payroll of under $1.3 million and not be insolvent or have business owners or directors who are an undischarged bankrupt.

Only 1 application per round will be accepted from an individual ABN or a financial beneficiary of a business.

What will be funded

The available grant amount is a minimum of $2,000 and up to a maximum of $10,000 per eligible small or micro business.

In recognition of the significant impacts of covid-19 on small businesses, the funding can be used towards the following:

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

It is also important to remember that grant funds can be used towards any of the above activities occurring from 23rd March 2020 onwards, keeping in mind the project must be completed within a maximum of 6 months from the date of approval.

What won’t be funded

Under the program these activities will not be funded:

• applications with a total cost less than $2,000 – all your proposed activities or quotes and invoices must be eligible and be a total of $2,000 or more
• business costs otherwise supported by other Queensland and Commonwealth Government financial assistance measures
• salaries or wage expenses for your employees, including superannuation or WorkCover
• services delivered in-kind (grant funding will only cover services paid for via a financial transaction)
• purchase of business assets, such as stock or fleet vehicles/machinery
• fees for services and/or goods provided by related parties (such as companies with common shareholdings or directorship with the applicant, and employees or immediate family of the applicant)
• direct-selling businesses (where sales of another business’ goods or services are made in the customer’s home, work or other meeting place through methods such as party plan and network marketing)
• goods or services purchased, or any payments made, prior to 23rd March 2020.