Summary

The NSW Government is gradually lifting the restrictions on movement and business trading that were designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This means some businesses can now reopen.

If your small business or not-for-profit organisation has experienced a decline in turnover as a result of COVID-19, you may be eligible for a small business recovery grant of between $500 and $3000.

This grant helps small businesses meet the costs of safely reopening or up-scaling operations. These expenses include, but are not limited to:

• fit-out changes and temporary physical changes (for example, plastic barriers at checkouts)
• staff training and counselling
• business advice and continuity planning
• cleaning products and additional cleaning services
• additional equipment necessary to comply with social distancing or other public health measures
• marketing, communications and advertising
• digital solutions (for example, e-commerce or business websites).

This grant can only be used for purchases of eligible expenses made from 1 July 2020, and only where no other government support is available.

Note: Applications close 11:59pm Sunday 16 August 2020.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this grant, you must as at 1 March 2020:

• be a small business or a not-for-profit organisation (see guidelines) based in NSW
• have an ABN registered in NSW (make sure all your business details are up to date on the Australian Business Register – this is used to determine eligibility)
• have an annual turnover of more than $75,000 (a Business Activity Statement must be provided as evidence).

  Where a small business does not submit a BAS to the Australian Tax Office, and meets all other criteria, the small business should contact Service NSW to discuss further. In these cases, an income tax declaration may be accepted as evidence of an annual turnover of $75,000.

• employ less than 20 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff (non-employing businesses can apply)
• be able to report a payroll below the NSW 2019-2020 payroll tax threshold of $900,000
• be in a highly impacted industry by the Public Health (COVID-19 Restrictions on Gathering and Movement) Order 2020 (see guidelines)
• have experienced at least 30% decline in turnover from March to July 2020 compared to the equivalent period (of at least 2 weeks) in 2019
• have costs associated with safely reopening or up-scaling your business from 1 July 2020.

Note: If you have received a COVID-19 small business support grant of up to $10,000, you may also be eligible to apply for the $3000 COVID-19 small business recovery grant.

What you need

• a MyServiceNSW Account
• your proof of identity
• your valid ABN/ACN number
• your business banking details for payment
• latest Business Activity Statement (BAS).

In addition, you will need to provide a declaration that you meet the eligibility criteria, including at least a 30% decline in turnover from March to July 2020 compared to the equivalent period (of at least 2 weeks) in 2019.

Apply online here

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-small-business-covid-19-recovery-grant

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