Small business grants to jump-start engine room of the economy

The Hunter Business Chamber has welcomed news of restart grants of up to $3,000 to help small businesses reopen and scale back up after the COVID shutdown period.
From July 1, eligible small businesses and not-for-profits will be able to apply for a grant of up to $3,000 to assist with the costs of re-establishing their business, if they can demonstrate decline in turnover of at least 30 per cent due to COVID restrictions.
Hunter Business Chamber CEO Bob Hawes said the cashflow boost would provide a jump start for small businesses that had stalled during the pandemic.
“Small business is the engine room of our state economy and a lot of business owners and operators have been doing it really tough through COVID, many having already been weakened by the bushfires and drought,” Mr Hawes said.
“Many have had to lay off staff and are struggling to just survive. This support from the NSW Government will help as they ramp up their operations following hibernation.
“The Chamber, with our statewide affiliate Business NSW, will be encouraging member businesses to apply for the Small Business Recovery Grant when applications open on July 1.
”The recovery grant program will use funds remaining from the $750 million Small Business Support Fund, which has attracted nearly 50,000 applications for grants of up to $10,000. That scheme closes on June 30.
“While some of the initial stimulus measures were aimed at larger companies, these packages support small businesses and family-owned operations that employ local people and are the lifeblood of their local communities,” Mr Hawes said.
“The announcement came as the NSW Government also unveiled a $13 million program to assist regional businesses on their export journey
“This support from the Government will encourage more regional businesses to explore their exporting options and get the right advice and assistance to assess the best channels to market for their products in the wake of COVID supply chain disruptions.”