Search Grants & Funding

The COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program Extension will reimburse eligible aged care providers for eligible expenditure incurred on managing direct impacts of COVID-19. The Program will run over 1 year in 2021-22. The Program will assist Residential Aged Care, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program and Home Care Package providers that are subject to direct COVID-19 impacts, to deliver continuity of safe quality care for consumers.

Eligible applicants can apply for funding for each impacted service for the periods between the date on which the resident, staff member or client is tested for COVID-19 and the date on which direct COVID-19 impacts are resolved (i.e. no infected or isolated residents, staff members or clients). 

Round Three of Consumer Travel Support Program (the Program) will provide a payment for travel agents and inbound tour operators and tour wholesalers (tour arrangement service providers consistent with ANZSIC code 7220), and to eligible businesses severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The objectives and intended outcomes of Round Three of the Program are to further assist previous grantees and eligible businesses that have received a payment under Round Two, Multi-outlet, or both. There is also a new stream for eligible new businesses who established and commenced operations between 01/01/2019 and 31/03/20 (inclusive).

If you’re a business, sole trader or not-for-profit organisation in NSW and you've been impacted by the Omicron wave of COVID-19, you may be eligible for a payment under the 2022 Small Business Support Program.

The program provides cash flow support to help eligible businesses survive the impacts of COVID-19 and maintain their NSW employee headcount.

If you’re an employing business, the payment will be equivalent to 20% of weekly payroll for work performed in NSW:

• minimum payment will be $750 per week
• maximum payment will be $5,000 per week.

Weekly payroll should be determined by referring to the calculations underlying the most recent Business Activity Statement (BAS) provided to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for a tax period that falls within the 2021–22 financial year.

If you’re a non-employing business, such as a sole trader, you may be eligible to receive a payment of $500 per week.

The aim of this package is to relaunch the performing arts sector in line with the NSW Government roadmap to recovery. This package is an extension of the original Performing Arts COVID Support Package that was designed to support the sector while in lockdown.

This new package is designed to assist the sector to relaunch by providing certainty and confidence as audiences return to theatres and other performance venues. Funding will cover eligible performances from 19 September 2021 to 30 April 2022

The aim of this package is to provide urgent financial support to performing arts venues, producers and promoters impacted by the cancellation or postponement of performances resulting from the NSW Government COVID-19 Public Health Orders from 26 June 2021.

The package is also designed to provide certainty to performing arts venues, producers and promoters of what assistance will be available if further COVID-19 Public Health Orders result in further cancellation of performances or restrictions in audience numbers.

Provides time limited, targeted and proportionate payments to assist domestic airlines ensure they have the capability to quickly ramp up as aviation activity increases when domestic travel and border restrictions ease, which will, in turn, help drive broader economic recovery.

Domestic Regular Public Transport (RPT) airlines operating interstate services suffering reductions following a hot spot declaration, will be provided support to be able to stand up and stand down staff as network activity and demand changes, as well as ensuring that necessary aircraft maintenance and associated activities can occur.

To be eligible, airlines will need to provide interstate RPT services and be able to demonstrate a 30 per cent reduction in their network following the declaration by the Commonwealth CMO of a hot spot. 

Airlines can use the funds for eligible costs, based on their operational needs. Eligible costs include replaced wages, aircraft storage costs and other plant and machinery maintenance, and training, licencing and accreditation costs necessary to maintain key staff and equipment in a flight ready state.

Job Saver is a support program funded jointly by the NSW and Commonwealth governments to maintain employment of staff for small and medium businesses impacted by the current health restrictions.

It will provide fortnightly payments to help maintain employee headcount and provide cashflow support to businesses.

Employing businesses can receive 40% of weekly payroll, with a minimum payment of $1,500 per week and a maximum payment of $10,000 per week. Non-employing business, and sole traders can receive $1,000 per week.

Payments will be tapered in line with the easing of restrictions. When NSW reaches:

• 70% double vaccination, payments will reduce from 40% of weekly payroll to 30% 
• 80% double vaccination, payments will reduce from 30% of weekly payroll to 15%. 

To be eligible, busineses need to have a revenue decline of 30% or more and a turnover between $75,000 and $50 million. Support for larger businesses in the hospitality, tourism and recreation industries with a turnover of between $250M to $1B is available under the JobSaver - Large Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation Business program, see a separate listing for this program.

Eligible businesses can use JobSaver to cover business costs incurred due to the impacts of the public health order in NSW. These costs may include:

• salaries and wages
• utilities and rent
• financial, legal or other advice
• marketing and communications
• perishable goods
• other business costs.

Employing businesses need to maintain your employee headcount from 13 July 2021 if you received payments from the start of JobSaver, or otherwise from the day before the fortnight that you first experienced the required decline in turnover.

For non-employing businesses, such as sole traders, show that the business is the primary income source for the associated person. If you have more than one non-employing business, you can only claim payments for one business.

If your business or eligible NFP is experiencing financial hardship and is not eligible for the 2021 JobSaver payment or had previous applications rejected, you can request to have your application reviewed by the Hardship Review Panel.

If your business meets the eligibility criteria, request a call back from a Service NSW Business Concierge.

They will check your eligibility to apply for hardship review before you submit your application.

Applications for hardship reviews for the business grant and the micro-business grant will be available from Tuesday 19 October.

The International Freight Assistance Mechanism has been extended by the Australian Government. The program provides support by reducing the impact of COVID-19 on international supply chains and helps businesses get their products distributed to international customers.

This program maintains global air connections and protects hard-fought market share while targeting support where it is needed most and buying Australian businesses time to align their operating models to ‘new-look’ supply chains.

The program team partners with State and Territory colleagues, including those offshore, in working with business and industry bodies to keep global air links open. It provides logistical and administrative support for international freight movements by aggregating cargo loads, negotiating with airlines and dealing with partner governments to facilitate clearances and improve transparency of freight costs during the pandemic.

By keeping key airfreight routes open, the program is providing Australian businesses disproportionately affected by COVID-19 time to adapt their business models, adjust to a new and tougher trading environment and preserve jobs.

If you’re an accommodation provider who experienced cancellations for stays between Friday 25 June 2021 and Sunday 11 July 2021, you may be eligible for the accommodation support grant.

Two different grant amounts are available:

• $2,000 for cancellations of 10 nights or less
• $5,000 for cancellations of 11 nights or more.

If you have more than one accommodation property in NSW, you'll be able to submit an application for each property.

Support for micro-businesses that have been impacted by the recent COVID-19 restrictions and stay-at-home orders. 

It will provide a fortnightly payment of $1,500 per fortnight for businesses with a turnover between $30,000 and $75,000.

When NSW reaches 80% double vaccination, payment will reduce from $1500 to $750 per fortnight.

To be eligible, busineses need to:

• Have a turnover between $30k and $75k
• Have a revenue decline of 30% or more
• Provide the primary income source for a person associated with the business.

Eligible applicants can use the grant for business costs incurred due to the impacts of the public health order in NSW and for which no other government support is available, including:

• salaries and wages
• utilities and rent
• financial, legal or other advice
• marketing and communications
• perishable goods
• other business costs.

Indigenous Business Australia is offering an Indigenous business relief package for eligible Indigenous businesses who have been impacted by COVID-19, including Indigenous businesses which are not already IBA customers.

This relief package has been designed in collaboration with the National Indigenous Australians Agency to respond to the immediate challenges Indigenous businesses are facing.

For businesses that are existing International Business Australia customers and are significantly impacted by COVID-19, they are offering deferral of business loan and lease repayments for a 4-month period, zero interest on business loans and leases for the 4-month deferral period and where necessary, extension of your loan term by 4 months (to accommodate the deferral period).

For all eligible indigenous businesses, including those not already existing customers, they are offering two programs:

Business Impact Assessment

Access to specialist advice to navigate the COVID-19 crisis, including a rapid assessment of your business positioning, cash flow management and assistance to access available stimulus measures from Federal, State/Territories.

Working capital assistance

Working capital assistance of up to $200,000 in the form of either a loan, a grant or a combination of both (assessed on a needs basis), which may consist of one or both of the following:

• A capped grant component to assist with ongoing fixed costs, purchase of equipment and generating revenue.
• A loan to assist with working capital needs, with a term of up to 5 years, with no repayments for the first 12 months, and preferential interest rates.

They have also partnered with Terri Janke & Co and 33 Creative to produce a 4-part video series on managing your business during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Topics include employer obligations, financial responsibilities, managing contracts and insolvency trading. Their COVID-19 Information Videos are available on Youtube.

The SME Recovery Loan Scheme is designed to support the economic recovery, and to provide continued assistance to SMEs that are dealing with the economic impacts of the coronavirus crisis. The Scheme is enhancing lenders’ ability to provide cheaper credit, allowing many otherwise viable SMEs to access vital additional funding to get through the impact of Coronavirus, recover and invest for the future. 

Participating lenders are offering guaranteed loans on the following terms under the SME Recovery Loan Scheme:

• The Government guarantee will be 80% of the loan amount.
• Lenders are allowed to offer borrowers a repayment holiday of up to 24 months.
• Loans can be used for a broad range of business purposes, including to support investment. Loans may be used to refinance any pre-existing debt of an eligible borrower, including those from the SME Guarantee Scheme.
• Borrowers can access up to $5 million in total, in addition to the Phase 1 and Phase 2 loan limits.
• Loans are for terms of up to 10 years, with an optional repayment holiday period.
• Loans can be either unsecured or secured (excluding residential property).
• The interest rate on loans will be determined by lenders, but will be capped at around 7.5 per cent, with some flexibility for interest rates on variable rate loans to increase if market interest rates rise over time.

On 25 August 2021, the Government announced that in recognition of the continued economic impacts of the coronavirus, the current requirements for SME’s to have received JobKeeper during the March quarter of 2021 or to have been a flood affected business in order to be eligible under the SME Recovery Loan Scheme will be removed.

Tourism, hospitality or recreation businesses in NSW with an annual turnover over $250 million and up to $1 billion, and you've been impacted by the recent COVID-19 restrictions, you may be eligible for the 2021 COVID-19 JobSaver payment.

JobSaver will provide cash flow support to impacted businesses to help maintain their NSW employee headcount from the day immediately prior to the month they first experienced the required decline in turnover.

Payments will be equivalent to 40% of the weekly payroll cost incurred prior to the start of COVID-19 restrictions on 26 June 2021, with a maximum weekly payment per group of:

• $300,000 for eligible businesses with an aggregated annual turnover more than $250 million and up to $500 million
• $500,000 for eligible businesses with an aggregated annual turnover more than $500 million and up to $1 billion.

Fortnightly payments will be backdated to the start of the month in which they first experienced the required decline in turnover on or after the commencement of JobSaver on 18 July 2021.

To be eligible, your business should:

• be a tourism, hospitality or recreation business – see Attachment D of the JobSaver payment guidelines for the full list of eligible industries
• have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
• have been operating in NSW on 1 June 2021
• have an aggregated annual turnover of more than $250 million and up to $1 billion
• maintain your employee headcount from the day immediately prior to the month you first experienced the required decline in turnover while you continue to receive JobSaver payments.

Businesses must demonstrate decline in turnover due to the public health order in line based on their level of aggregated annual turnover:

• 50% decline for businesses between $250M and $500M
• 70% decline for businesses between $500M and $1B.

Eligible businesses can register to be part of the Dine and Discover NSW program.

Under this initiative NSW residents aged 18 and over will receive four $25 vouchers to use at a participating businesses, including:

• Two $25 vouchers to be used for eating in restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and clubs.
• Two $25 vouchers to be used for entertainment and recreation, including cultural institutions, live music and arts venues.

Local businesses are encouraged to register for the program so that they can accept the vouchers to take advantage of this opportunity and aid their recovery from the decreased trade over the last year. To be eligible, businesses need to:

• Have an active Australian Business Number (ABN) and be registered for GST.
• Operate in NSW in an eligible industry listed on the registration page.
• Be registered as COVID-safe and have a COVID Safety Plan in place.

Interested businesses can register through the Dine and Discover NSW Business Registration page of the Service NSW website.

The program has been extended so vouchers are valid until the 30th of June 2022.