Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant Program – Round 2 now open

Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant Program – Round 2 now open

Up to $100 million available to deliver a second round of grants, with half of this funding specifically earmarked for regional small businesses located outside of South East Queensland .

Round 2 opened at 9am on 1 July 2020.

The program aims to see 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
• respond to online opportunities, where possible, to sustain employment and maintain potential for longer-term growth
• upskill and reskill business owners and staff to benefit from new technologies or business models
• embrace business diversification to adapt and sustain operations
• create or retain employment.

Regional and SEQ funding available - For round 2, funding is being equally divided between:

• • Regional Queensland (ie. Outside South East Queensland)
  • South East Queensland (SEQ = Brisbane City Council, City of Gold Coast, 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 and Toowoomba Regional Council).

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible, your business must:

• have been subject to closure or otherwise highly impacted by current shutdown restrictions announced by Queensland's Chief Health Officer on 23 March 2020
• have experienced a minimum 30% decline since 23 March 2020, over a minimum 1-month period due to the onset and management of COVID-19
• employ staff and have fewer than 20 employees at the time of applying for the grant (employees must be on your payroll and does not include the business owner(s))
• have a valid Australian Business Number (ABN) active as at 23 March 2020
• be registered for GST
• have a Queensland 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
• have a payroll of less than $1.3 million
• not be insolvent or have owners or directors that are an undischarged bankrupt.

If you have submitted a round 1 application but haven't heard back yet, you are eligible to apply for round 2.

What will be funded

The available grant funding amount is a minimum of $2,000 and up to a maximum of $10,000 and can be used to 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).

Applicants will have 6 months to complete their projects and must acquit the total amount of funding received.

How to apply

Round 2 may only be open for a short period due to demand and will close when the funding allocation is anticipated to be exhausted. As at 3 July 2020:

• Regional Queensland allocation had 42.88% of funds requested
• South East Queensland allocation over 100% of funds requested.

To apply, complete the following steps.

1. Check your eligibility
2. Read the application guidelines, terms and conditions, frequently asked questions (FAQs) and application tips.
3. Click on Apply

For more information

web: www.business.qld.gov.au/starting-business/advice-support/grants/adaption

email: adapt@desbt.qld.gov.au

phone: 1300 654 687.