The 2021 COVID-19 micro-business grant provides cashflow support for micro-businesses in New South Wales who have had their work impacted by the restrictions while continuing to incur business costs.
If you’re a micro-business with aggregated annual turnover between $30,000 and $75,000 you may be eligible to apply for a fortnightly payment of $1,500 to cover business expenses for the duration of the Greater Sydney lockdown.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the grant, you must:
- have an active Australian Business Number (ABN) registered in, or demonstrate your business was primarily operating in, NSW as at 1 June 2021
- have had aggregated annual turnover between $30,000 and $75,000 for the year ended 30 June 2020
- have experienced a decline in turnover of 30% or more due to the public health orders over a minimum 2-week period within the Greater Sydney lockdown (commenced 26 June 2021), compared to the same period in 2019
- have business costs for which no other government support is available
- have not applied for either the 2021 COVID-19 business grant or the JobSaver payment
- maintain your employee headcount as at 13 July 2021 while receiving payments from this grant, if you’re an employing business
- have this business as your primary income source, if you’re a non-employing business such as a sole trader.
Funding
Eligible businesses can apply for a fortnightly payment of $1,500 to cover business expenses for the duration of the Greater Sydney lockdown.
Payments will be made in arrears with the first payment backdated to 26 June 2021.
Eligible Expenditure
Eligible applicants can use the grant for business costs incurred from 1 June 2021 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
Alternative Circumstances
Where businesses fall outside the proscribed conditions, they can contact Service NSW to discuss alternative eligibility.
This would cover the following:
- Businesses that cannot demonstrate the minimum $75,000 aggregated annual turnover or the minimum decline in turnover should contact Service NSW as they may still be eligible to apply if they:
- were not operating for the full year to 30 June 2020 (e.g. they are a new business) but can demonstrate income consistent with $75,000 per annum over a shorter period prior to 26 June 2021, and they can demonstrate they have been significantly impacted by the Public Health Orders, or
- their turnover in June/July 2019 was not representative of their usual or average turnover (e.g. due to drought or bushfires) which is usually $75,000 per annum or more, and they can demonstrate they have been significantly impacted by the Public Health Orders.
- Where a business does not submit a BAS to the Australian Tax Office.
- Where a business operates through a trust structure, the applicant will be required to provide additional information to demonstrate an aggregated annual turnover of $75,000 or more is derived through the trust, as opposed to a business linked to a trust.
How To Apply
- Applications can be submitted via the Service NSW site https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/2021-covid-19-micro-business-grant
- Once deemed eligible, businesses will receive automatic fortnightly payments. Businesses will not need to re-apply, but businesses with employees must notify Service NSW if they are not maintaining the number of employees they had on 13 July 2021.
Applications will close at 11:59pm on 18 October 2021.