State Government Grant For Small Businesses

The Western Australian Government has just announced a new grant available to small businesses impacted by the recent three-day snap lockdown. The grant will provide $2000 to the small businesses in the Perth and Peel region that were most affected by the recent restrictions.

The Government has indicated that the intended recipients of the grant are businesses that suffered the most due to the restrictions, including:

• Cafes and restaurants
• Catering services
• Pubs, taverns, and bars
• Clubs
• Florists
• Specialised food retail
• Bakeries
• Hairdressing and beauty services
• Sport and physical recreation (instruction)
• Health and fitness centres and gyms
• Accommodation and sightseeing transport
• Rental and hiring services
• Cinemas
• Food wholesalers
• Creative industries and performing arts venues
• Event equipment hire

To be eligible, businesses must also have a payroll of less than $4 million in the 2019-20 financial year and be registered for GST. Businesses must also be able to prove that they were adversely affected over the lockdown period (24^th April 2021 – 27^th April 2021) or during the transitional period (from 27^th April 2021 to 1^st May 2021). They will need to maintain a record of this for at least twelve months.

The intent of the grant is to offset some of the financial losses that may have occurred due to the lockdown and temporary business closure. This may include staff wages or the loss of perishable goods. The grant is not intended to cover lost revenue or potential profits.

Applications for the grant are now open and must be submitted by 5.00pm AWST on Wednesday, 30 June 2021 to be considered. The grant will be distributed in June and July this year. To apply for the grant on the Small Business Development Corporation’s (SBDC) website here.