Boost for small business with $15,000 grants on offer
Posted on August 2nd, 2022
Small businesses ready to take their business to the next level are being encouraged to apply for a grant up to $15,000 to help their business boost turnover, increase their workforce or improve their resilience.
Details of the next round of the popular Business Boost grants are now available with businesses able to register their interest in applying from 9am on Friday 12 August and closing at midnight on Friday 19th August.
For this round of the Business Boost grants, $2.5 million worth of grants are on offer to Queensland small businesses that are seeing positive growth and are looking to expand further.
Previous recipients of the grant have used the funds to do a range of business boosting projects such as: introducing an online booking system, redeveloping websites, building a tailor made workplace health and safety system and staff training.
To be eligible, small businesses need to employ less than 20 employees and have had a turnover between $300,000 and $600,000 in the last financial year.
Businesses will need to co-contribute at least 30 per cent of the total cost of their proposed project with grant funding paid to successful small businesses following completion of the project.
To manage applications for the grants, a new two-stage process has been introduced starting with businesses registering their interest to apply by completing a simple online form that collects basic business information.
The application will be open for a set window of time, more than a week, so that businesses can accommodate their diverse work and life commitments.
The second stage of the application will see a number of businesses selected through a ballot process to be invited to complete a full application. This format means all interested businesses owners have an equal opportunity to apply.
PsychHelp, an innovative Telehealth Psychology Practice on the Sunshine Coast, is one small business that benefitted from a Business Boost grant in the last round.
Director Dr Mary Gregory says the $8,400 grant will fund a range of activities to help the business grow whilst continuing to deliver confidential psychological therapy, safely and securely online.
“Previously rural and remote communities were the largest users of our support service however, since COVID-19, we have increased our reach to provide psychological support over the internet to people in metropolitan areas,” said Dr Gregory.
“This grant will future-proof the business as our digital delivery expands and we reach more people in need. Our vision is for all Australians to have access to psychological support in a manner which is convenient, professional and affordable.
“Providing a service which is secure and confidential is very important to us and this grant will enable us to do this as we continue to grow.”
Small business grants will continue to roll out with this year’s Queensland Budget committing $39.1 million over the next four years for grants and other support to help new, growing and established businesses keep improving.
Since 2020, nearly 60,000 Queensland business have received grants totalling almost $530 million, including over $500 million in COVID-19 economic support to 55,000 businesses in 2020 and 2021 and more than $20 million in Big Plans for Small Business grants.
For more information about the Business Boost Grants visit www.business.qld.gov.au/businessboost.
