The latest installment of grants aimed at helping small regional businesses has been announced by the NSW Government and welcomed by our local Hunter Business Chamber.
The restart grants of up to $3,000 are set to help small businesses reopen and scale back up after the COVID-19 shutdown period.
From 1 July, eligible small businesses and not-for-profits will be able to apply for a grant of up to $3,000 to assist with the costs of re-establishing their business, if they can demonstrate decline in turnover of at least 30 per cent due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Hunter Business Chamber’s CEO, Bob Hawes, said the cash flow boost would provide a jump start for small businesses that had stalled during the pandemic.
“Small business is the engine room of our state economy and a lot of business owners and operators have been doing it really tough through COVID-19, many having already been weakened by the bushfires and drought,” Bob said.
“Many have had to lay off staff and are struggling to just survive. This support from the NSW Government will help as they ramp up their operations following hibernation.
“The Chamber, with our statewide affiliate Business NSW, will be encouraging member businesses to apply for the Small Business Recovery Grant when applications open on 1 July.”
The recovery grant program will use funds remaining from the $750 million Small Business Support Fund, which has attracted nearly 50,000 applications for grants of up to $10,000. That scheme closes on June 30.
“While some of the initial stimulus measures were aimed at larger companies, these packages support small businesses and family-owned operations that employ local people and are the lifeblood of their local communities,” Bob said.
This announcement came as the NSW Government also unveiled a $13 million program to assist regional businesses on their export journey.
“This support from the Government will encourage more regional businesses to explore their exporting options and get the right advice and assistance to assess the best channels to market for their products in the wake of COVID-19 supply chain disruptions.”
To learn more about the details of the COVID-19 Adaption Grants and how you can apply, visit the NSW Government website.
IMAGE | Small local businesses urged to apply for the COVID-19 Adaption Grants.
