Energy efficiency grants for SMBs Round 2

Posted on 26 February 2024 | by Allan Hall

Extra $41M Boost for SMEs to Reduce Energy Bills

The grant opportunity provides eligible small and medium businesses up to $25,000 to purchase energy-efficient equipment to reduce and manage energy usage and costs.

NSW applications open Monday 26 February 2024 12.00pm AEDT

Overview

The Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Round 2 will support businesses to upgrade or replace inefficient equipment to improve their energy efficiency. These upgrades will enable industries to reduce their energy use, manage energy cost volatility in the long term and contribute to Australia’s target of a 43% reduction in 2005 emission levels by 2030.

The objectives of the program are:

improve energy efficiency practices and increase the uptake of energy-efficient technologies
assist small and medium businesses to manage their energy usage and costs
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The intended outcomes of the program are:

increase awareness of energy efficiency opportunities and help businesses to save energy
reduced power bills for small and medium businesses
emissions abatement to contribute to Australia reducing its emissions to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Check if you can apply

The eligibility criteria are a set of rules that describe who we can consider for this grant. You can apply if you:

are an eligible entity
have an eligible project
have eligible expenditure.

The rules are in the grant opportunity guidelines.

Projects cannot be funded if you received any grant funding in the Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Round 1 program.

You can only receive one Energy Efficiency Grant for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Round 2 grant per applicant (as determined by your ABN).

CONTACT ALLAN HALL BUSINESS ADVISORS

Small Business Energy Efficiency Grants

Posted on 20 March 2023 | by Allan Hall

Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Round 1

Funding to purchase energy-efficient equipment upgrades for small and medium businesses is available.

The Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Round 1 will support businesses to upgrade or replace inefficient equipment to improve their energy efficiency. These upgrades will enable industries to reduce their energy use and manage energy cost volatility in the long term. This will contribute to Australia’s target of a 43% reduction on 2005 emission levels by 2030.

Key points

Grants from $10,000 to $25,000 to cover up to 100% of eligible project expenditure
Funding will be distributed between states and territories based on the distribution of small and medium sized businesses nationally
This is a demand-driven grant opportunity with grants awarded to eligible applicants on a first come, first served basis until the funding is exhausted in each jurisdiction
Grant applications close 19 April 2023.

APPLY HERE

Who is this for?

This grant opportunity is for small and medium sized businesses with an employee headcount of 1 to 199 employees.

The objectives of the program are to:

improve energy efficiency practices and increase the uptake of energy efficient technologies
assist small and medium businesses to manage their energy usage and costs
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The intended outcomes of the program are:

increased awareness of energy efficiency opportunities and help businesses to save energy
reduced power bills for small and medium businesses
emissions abatement to contribute to Australia reducing its emissions to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Check if you can apply

You can apply if you meet the eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria are a set of rules that describe who can be considered for this grant. You can apply if you:

are an eligible entity
have an eligible project
have eligible expenditure.

The rules are in the grant opportunity guidelines.

If you enter a grant agreement under the Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium Enterprises program you cannot receive other funding for the same activities from other Commonwealth, state or territory programs. Funding includes, but is not limited to, grants, rebates, contributions, certifications and certificates that have a value and any other form of financial assistance.

Eligible entities

You can apply if you:

have an Australian business number (ABN)

and are one of the following entity types:

an entity incorporated in Australia
a partnership
a sole trader.

You must also:

be a small or medium sized business with an employee headcount from 1 to 199 employees averaged over any consecutive 12-month period since 1 July 2019
have consent from the owner of the project location to undertake the project, if the entity is not the owner of the project location.

You can’t apply if you are:

an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s list of Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme
an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012)
an unincorporated association
a trust (however, an incorporated trustee may apply on behalf of a trust)
a Commonwealth, state, territory or local government body (including government business enterprises, public schools, and public hospitals)
a non-corporate Commonwealth entity
a business that has more than 199 employees.

Eligible projects

Your project must:

be aimed at reducing the energy consumption of your business in Australia
have at least $10,000 in eligible expenditure.

Your project may include the following activities:

an energy audit of your site or part of your site
the design, and installation of energy efficient equipment, including any necessary wiring or other electrical work
measuring, monitoring and recording energy usage
the commissioning or tuning of equipment installed.

Eligible expenditure

You can use this grant funding for:

purchase of equipment to replace existing equipment, where the new equipment is higher energy efficiency
costs to decommission, remove and dispose of the old equipment that is replaced
purchase of equipment or components to help an existing system run more efficiently in regard to energy
building permits or approval costs to install equipment, where required
the cost of suppliers, consultants and contracted labour undertaking eligible project activities.

Check if you’re ready to apply for a grant

Finding a suitable grant opportunity is just the start of the process to get funding. The application process can take time and effort. Understanding the entire process will help you be grant ready and may improve your chances of getting funding.

Use this checklist to find out what it takes to apply for a grant »

When you’re ready to apply

Submit an application through the online portal. You’ll need to set up an account when you first log into the portal. The portal allows you to apply for and manage a grant or service in a secure online environment.

Applications will be checked to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria in order of application receipt.

Before you apply, make sure you:

read and understand the grant opportunity guidelines
read the grant agreement
read the sample application form.

CONTACT ALLAN HALL BUSINESS ADVISORS

2022 Small Business Support Grant

Posted on 16 February 2022 | by Allan Hall

2022 Small Business Support Grant

Service NSW has released the detailed Guidelines for the 2022 Small Business Support Grant

The main points are summarised as follows:

The Grant is intended to assist businesses that were impacted by the Omicron wave, particularly businesses in the hospitality and entertainment industries
The Grant will provide cash flow and help these businesses maintain employee-employer relationships.

Available Funding

One-off payment covering the four-week period of February 2022 (NB: No payment for the month of January 2022)
Eligible businesses to receive 20% of weekly payroll for work performed in NSW
Minimum payment of $750 per week up to a maximum of $5,000 per week
Eligible non-employing businesses will receive $500 per week
Weekly payroll amount will be calculated by referring to the most recent BAS or IAS provided to the ATO for a tax period that falls within the 2021-22 financial year
Similar calculation process to JobSaver

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must have:

Had an ABN and were operating in NSW as at 1 January 2021
Had an aggregated turnover of between $75k and $50m for the year ended 30 June 2020 or 2021 (must use the year for the tax return most recently lodged)
Experienced a decline in turnover of 40% or more due to the impacts of COVID-19 during the month of January 2022, compared to January 2021 or January 2020; AND
Experienced a decline in turnover of 40% or more due to the impacts of COVID-19 from 1-14 February 2022 compared to the same fortnight in the comparison year that you select for the point above

Additionally applicants must:

Maintain employee headcount from January 30 to 28 February 2022
Have had a decline in turnover due to the impacts of COVID-19, not because of other reasons such as seasonal variations

Also:

For non-employing businesses, the business receiving payments must be the primary income source (50% or more) for the associated individual. An associate individual can only claim from one business.

Application Process

Applications opened 14 February 2022 and closes 31 March 2022 — apply via the Service NSW website
Payments will be made in one lump sum covering the four weeks of February 2022
Applicants must advise Service NSW if headcount is not maintained
Applicants will need to upload both the latest tax return that has been lodged and also the BAS used to calculate the weekly payroll amount
Businesses that are not listed in the highly impacted list will need to upload a BAS or a letter from their accountant to evidence that they meet the 40% decline in turnover.

There are alternative tests available for businesses that are impacted but were not operating on 1 January 2021, impacted by acquisition/disposal, bushfires and natural disasters and sole traders impacted by sickness, injury or leave.

Further information, including Grant Guidelines, is available at 2022 Small Business Support Program – Guidelines | Service NSW.

Please be aware that there is a high level of scamming activity around COVID-19 rules and regulations and, in particular, grants and relief. These scams are increasingly sophisticated and many involve impersonation such that they may appear to come from legitimate advisors (such as Allan Hall).

At Allan Hall, we will never request money upfront, deposits, transfers to personal accounts, payments via gift cards or other unexpected or unusual payment methods. If in any doubt, contact us via phone before taking actions that appear to be at the request of Allan Hall.

UPDATE JobSaver expanded following NSW lockdown extension

Posted on 28 July 2021 | by Allan Hall

NSW expands JobSaver as lockdown is extended

The state will expand the JobSaver turnover threshold and increase maximum payments as Greater Sydney prepares for another four weeks of lockdown.

The announced expansion of the JobSaver payment will increase the turnover eligibility threshold from $50 million to $250 million, along with an increase to weekly payments.

The expansion and extension will also increase maximum weekly payments from $10,000 to $100,000 per week as long as businesses maintain employee headcount throughout the lockdown period.

Applications for JobSaver opened this week where businesses and not-for-profits receive 40% of their weekly payroll, at a minimum of $1,500, as long as they maintain their full-time, part-time and long-term casual staffing level as of 13 July.

The increased maximum payments will be back-dated to applications made as far back as last week.

See more information at https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/jobsaver-payment-guidelines or call Allan Hall’s team on 02 9981 2300.

Other Employment Options

There is a number of options that employers should consider at this time, including:

Allowing employees to continue to work from home
Standing down employees unable to work with no pay
Agreeing on changing rosters and hours of work
Agreeing on changing employees’ duties

See Allan Hall HR’s article for more details. Alternatively, please contact our HR team directly to discuss your unique business circumstances by emailing [email protected] or calling 1300 675 393.

2021 COVID-19 Micro-Business Grant NSW

Posted on 27 July 2021 | by Allan Hall

Cash flow support for NSW micro-businesses impacted by COVID-19 restrictions while continuing to incur business costs.

Closing date 18 October 2021.

» You can apply online using your MyServiceNSW Account

The 2021 COVID-19 Micro-Business Grant provides fortnightly payments to NSW micro-businesses (small business, sole traders or not-for-profits) impacted by recent COVID-19 restrictions.

Available funding

Automatic payments of $1,500 per fortnight.
Payments made in arrears with the first payment backdated to 26 June.
Only one application per ABN and only one application even if multiple businesses under a single ABN.

Eligibility criteria

Must have an ABN and operating in NSW at 1 June 2021. There are some exemptions if you have an ABN outside NSW but can demonstrate you operated within NSW at 1 June 2021.
Aggregated turnover more than $30,000 and less than $75,000 for year-ended 30 June 2020[i].
Decline in turnover of 30% or more due to the Public Health Order over a minimum 2-week period within the Greater Sydney lockdown (26 June and due to end 30 July) compared to the same period in 2019.
Applicant has business costs for which there is no other government support available.
Applicant has not applied for the COVID-19 Business Grant or JobSaver.
Employing businesses must maintain headcount at 13 July.
For non-employing businesses, the business receiving the payments must be the primary income source for the associated person. Individuals with more than one non-employing business can only claim from one business.
Entities earning passive income (such as rent) are not eligible.
Employees can receive Commonwealth COVID-19 Disaster Payments if their employer is receiving this grant.
Non-employing businesses are not eligible for this grant if individuals associated with and deriving income from the business are receiving the Commonwealth Covid-19 Disaster Payment.

Evidence in support of eligibility

Applicant must have experienced a decline in turnover of 30% or more over a minimum 2-week period from 26 June 2021 to 30 July 2021 compared to the same period in June and/or July 2019.
There is no alternate test for businesses not operating in 2019 (or 2019 not a true comparison) or did not meet the minimum $30k turnover. These applicants should contact Service NSW.
Applicants need to supply one of the following as evidence that their turnover was more than $30,000 but less than $75,00 for the year ended 30 June 2020:
- A letter from their accountant;
- Business Activity Statement;
- Business bank statements;
- A tax return or notice of assessment.
If no employees, declare the business is the primary source of income for the owner of the business.
If business does have employees, applicant must declare their employee headcount on 13 July 2021 and notify Service NSW if the employee headcount declines.

Some important notes

Funding to be used to cover costs incurred from 18 July (wages, rent etc.)
Businesses that received the $1,500 NSW Small Business Fees and Charges Rebate can apply for this grant.
Where a business operates through a Trust, it will be required to provide additional information to demonstrate an aggregated turnover of more than $30k but less than $75k is derived through the Trust, as opposed to a business linked to a trust.

Applicants will require an accountant’s prepared declaration as part of the grant submission process. Allan Hall will be able to provide assistance to our clients as we have done with previous NSW grant programs.

See more information at https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/2021-covid-19-micro-business-grant or call Allan Hall’s team on 02 9981 2300.

[i] based on ATO definition

COVID-19 JobSaver payment

Posted on 26 July 2021 | by Allan Hall

JobSaver cash flow support to impacted businesses to help maintain NSW employee headcount on 13 July.

Applications close 18 October

» UPDATE: JobSaver expanded following NSW lockdown extension

The eligibility for JobSaver has been released and is expected to be open for applications from 26 July 2021. The program objective is to help businesses save jobs to support the economy after restrictions are lifted.

JobSaver will provide cash flow support for impacted businesses that will receive a backdated fortnightlypayment to cover costs from week 4 (18 July) of the Greater Sydney lockdown, onwards.

Businesses that have applied and are eligible for the 2021 COVID-19 business grant will generally be automatically eligible for JobSaver but must provide further information on employee headcount and payroll. These businesses may be contacted by Service NSW if further information is required.

Some businesses that are not eligible for the 2021 COVID-19 business grant are still eligible provided they meet specific criteria. These businesses will be required to complete an application form.

Available funding

Fortnightly payments backdated to cover costs incurred from week-4 of the Greater Sydney lockdown (from 18 July). Once eligible, fortnightly payments will be automatic and businesses will not need to re-apply but must notify Service NSW if they are not maintaining their headcount that they had on 13 July. First payment backdated to 18 July.
Minimum payment of $1,500 per week and maximum of $10,000 per week equivalent to 40% of Weekly Payroll for work performed in NSW.
Non-employing businesses will receive $1,000 per week.
The Weekly Payroll amount will be worked out by reference to the W1 amount reported on the most recent activity statement lodged with the ATO prior to 26 June 2021. For most businesses this will be either the March 2021 BAS (for quarterly withholders) or the May 2021 IAS (for monthly withholders). Amounts withheld on behalf of contractors and wages not related to NSW should be removed.
Weekly Payroll Calculation– Take amount at W1 subtractW1 amounts that relate to states other than NSW subtractamounts withheld on behalf of contractors. The remaining amount is then divided by the number of days in the BAS period (depends on quarterly or monthly lodgment) and multiplied by 7. This will give the Weekly Payroll amount.
The weekly payment (paid fortnightly) will be calculated as 40% of the amount calculated above as the Weekly Payroll amount.

Example

As an example, a business that lodged a W1 amount of $20,000 on their May Activity Statement (so a monthly withholder – assume only NSW wages and no contractors):

W1 = $20,000
Weekly Payroll – $20,000 divided by 31 days multiplied by 7 days
Weekly Payroll equals $4,516
Weekly Payment – $4,516 x 40%
Weekly Payment equals $1,806
This business would receive a payment of $3,612 per fortnight

Note: A quarterly withholder would likely use the March 2021 BAS and 90 days rather than 31 days in the above example.

Businesses that do not submit a BAS (such as weekly withholders) or have no W1 amount should use the ATO definition of W1 to calculate total wages. Then apply the same method as above.

Eligibility criteria

Must have an ABN and operating in NSW at 1 June 2021. There are some exemptions if you have an ABN outside NSW but can demonstrate you operated within NSW at 1 June 2021.
Aggregated turnover of more than $75,000 and less than $50M for year ended 30 June 2020. A micro business grant for businesses or sole traders with turnover of more than $30,000 but less than $75,000 will be available from late July.
Decline in turnover of 30% or more due to the Public Health Order over a minimum 2-week period within the Greater Sydney lockdown (26 June and due to end 30 July compared to the same period in 2019).
For employing businesses, maintain head count as at 13 July (Persons employed in NSW and who are Full-time and part-time and long-term (more than 12-month casuals) while they continue to receive JobSaver payments.
Businesses that do not maintain the declared headcount must notify Service NSW. An employer will remain eligible if an employee voluntarily resigns.
For non-employing businesses, the business receiving the payments must be the primary income source for the associated person. Individuals with more than one non-employing business can only claim from one business.
Entities earning passive income (such as rental income) are not eligible.
Employees canreceive Commonwealth COVID-19 Disaster Payments if their employer is receiving JobSaver.
Non-employing businesses are noteligible for JobSaver if individuals associated with and deriving income from the business are receiving the Commonwealth COVID-19 Disaster Payment.

Evidence in support of eligibility

Applicants must have experienced a decline in turnover of 30% or more over a minimum 2-week period from 26 June 2021 to 30 July 2021 compared to the same period in June and/or July 2019.
Declare headcount on 13 July and declare this headcount will be maintained.
Submit a tax return, notice of assessment or other document to show turnover between $75,000 and $50M.
Evidence of Weekly Payroll:
- Most recent BAS with a W1 amount submitted prior to 26 June within the 2020-21 financial year;
- For businesses with no W1 (weekly withholder) their 2019-20 payroll tax return;
- For business that do not submit a BAS – contact Service NSW.
There is no alternate test for businesses that were not operating in 2019 (or if 2019 is not a true comparison) or did not meet the minimum $75,000 turnover. These applicants must contact Services NSW.
If you are in a highly impacted industry a letter from your accountants is not required with your application.
Anyone not in one of the highly impacted industries will require an accountant letter to submit with their application.

Some important notes

Applicants must have lodged a 30 June 2020 tax return to demonstrate a minimum $75,000 turnover. We understand some clients that are eligible may not have lodged their 2020 tax return, however, we understand there will be other options available to prove the $75,000 turnover requirement. If you are in this position, please contact your Allan Hall advisor.
Funding received from JobSaver is to be used to cover costs incurred from 18 July (Wages, rent etc.) The primary objective is to maintain employee relationships.
Businesses that applied and were eligible for COVID-19 business grant will generally be automatically eligible for JobSaver but must provide further information on employee headcount and payroll.
Construction and other industries are now considered highly Impacted .
Where a business operates through a Trust, they will be required to provide additional information to demonstrate an aggregated turnover of $75k or more is derived through the Trust, as opposed to a business linked to a trust.

See more information at https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/jobsaver-payment-guidelines or call Allan Hall’s team on 02 9981 2300.

Other Employment Options

There are also a number of other options for employers to consider at this time, including:

Allowing employees to continue to work from home
Standing down employees unable to work with no pay
Agreeing on changing rosters and hours of work
Agreeing on changing employees’ duties

See our HR team’s article here for more details. Alternatively, please contact our HR team directly to discuss your unique business circumstances by emailing [email protected] or calling 1300 675 393.

NOW OPEN 2021 COVID-19 business grant

Posted on 19 July 2021 | by Allan Hall

Eligibility for the 2021 COVID-19 business grant released

Registrations are expected to be open from today. Online applications will close on 13 September 2021.

» You can apply online at https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/2021-covid-19-business-grant

We have been through the detailed guidelines and summarise as follows.

Available funding

30% or more reduction in turnover – $7,500
50% or more reduction in turnover – $10,500
70% or more reduction in turnover – $15,000
Multiple businesses under one ABN are only eligible for one grant.

Eligibility criteria

Must have an ABN and have been operating in NSW at 1 June 2021. There are some exemptions if you have an ABN outside NSW but can demonstrate you operated within NSW at 1 June 2021.
Total Australian wages less than $10M at 1 July 2020.
Aggregated turnover of more than $75,000 less than $50M for year ended 30 June 2020. A micro business grant for businesses or sole traders with turnover of more than $30,000 but less than $75,000 will be available from late July.
Business costs that no other grant is available for (such as fees & charges rebate).
Maintain employee head count as at 13 July (Persons employed in NSW and who are full-time and part-time and long-term (more than 12 month) casuals). This means that the employer-employee relationship must be maintained, consistent with employment law (ie employment cannot be terminated). However employer will remain eligible if an employee voluntarily resigns.

Decline in turnover conditions

Your business must have experienced a decline in turnover of 30% or more over a minimum 2-week period from 26 June 2021 to 17 July 2021 compared to the same period in June and/or July 2019.
There is no alternate test for businesses that were not operating in 2019 (or if 2019 is not a true comparison) or did not meet the minimum $75,000 turnover. These applicants must contact Services NSW.
If you are in a highly impacted industry you only need a letter from your accountant for the $15,000 Grant. Service NSW will release $10,500 immediately and the additional $4,500 when you provide the letter. For the $7,500 and $10,000 Grant Service NSW requires you to include Allan Hall’s details for potential compliance.
Applicants not in one of the ‘highly impacted industries’ require an accountant’s letter to confirm their reduction in turnover. Contact your Allan Hall advisor who can assist with providing this.

Some important notes

Applicants must have lodged a 30 June 2020 tax return to demonstrate a minimum $75,000 turnover. We understand some clients that are eligible may not have lodged their 2020 tax return, however, we understand there will be other options available to prove the $75,000 turnover requirement. If you are in this position, please contact your Allan Hall advisor.
Non-employing businesses are not eligible to apply if persons associated with the business, and who derive income from it, have applied for, or are receiving, the Commonwealth Covid-19 Disaster Payment.
Where a business operates through a Trust, it will be required to provide additional information to demonstrate an aggregated turnover of $75,000 or more is derived through the Trust, as opposed to a business linked to a trust.

The Public Health Orders have created challenges for many businesses and the purpose of this one-off grant is to help cover business expenses and support employment for the first three weeks of the restrictions that were announced on 26 June.

From Week 4, eligible businesses will receive a minimum of $1,500 and a maximum of $10,000 per week under the JobSaver program announced by the NSW Government. Applications for the JobSaver program will be available from 26 July. We will communicate additional information on the JobSaver program when they are released by Services NSW later this week. Please refer to our previous article with what we know so far.

To avoid delays in preparing an application, please also refer to the Get readysection of our other previous article .

In addition, there are a number of options available to employers and employees during this time. Our HR team have prepared an article covering some key aspects, please click here for more information.

NOW OPEN! NSW flood disaster recovery small business grant

Posted on 7 June 2021 | by Allan Hall

NSW flood disaster recovery small business grant

Grant applications close 11:59pm 15 October 2021.

Online applications for the NSW flood disaster recovery grant are open to small businesses and not-for-profit (NFP) organisations on the Service NSW website and close on 15 October 2021. Act now if your business or NFP is eligible.

Grants of up to $50,000 are available to help pay for clean-up costs and reinstatement of operations for NSW small businesses and NFPs directly impacted by the NSW Storms and Floods from 19 February 2021 onwards (AGRN 954) or from 10 March 2021 onwards (AGRN 960) operating in a defined disaster area.

Covered costs could include, but are not limited to:

payment for tradespeople to conduct safety inspections
equipment and materials required for cleaning up, or hiring a cleaner to assist with post-flood clean-up
equipment and materials essential for immediately resuming operations
the removal and disposal of damaged goods and materials
repairing premises and internal fittings
leasing temporary premises or replacing lost or damaged stock if it’s essential for resuming operations
hiring equipment and/or replacing stock needed to resume operations.

The grant is not available for expenses that are covered under the small business or not-for-profit organisation’s insurance policy, or loss of income as a result of the floods.

Available funding

The maximum grant available is $50,000.

Funds of up to $15,000 will be provided to eligible, approved applicants, based on quotes or estimates, which need to be included in a grant submission. Evidence of payment is not required at this stage.
Evidence including valid tax invoices will be required in relation to the first $15,000, if the applicant seeks funding from $15,000 to $50,000.
To receive funds of between $15,000 to $50,000, applicants will need to submit evidence of payment of the relevant costs at the time of application.

If an initial grant application is for less than $50,000, a second application can be submitted if additional funds are required to complete clean-up and reinstatement activities.

Eligibility

‘Direct damage’ means a direct and material impact of flood or flood mitigation activities on business assets or equipment.

Small business owners or not-for-profit organisation applying for grants must be in a defined disaster area and:

have suffered direct damage
be primarily responsible for meeting the costs being claimed
intend to re-establish the small business or NFP within the same area
the business owner held a current ABN and was engaged in carrying on the small business at the time of flooding in the defined disaster area
the NFP is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission or an equivalent state regulatory body and held that registration at the time of the eligible disaster.

Sole traders with no employees who fulfill the above criteria are eligible to apply if it can be shown that a majority of income is derived from the small business, or that:

immediately before the eligible disaster, a majority of your income was derived from the business, and
the majority of that income would have come from the business again if not for the eligible disaster.

Small businesses or NFP located outside the defined disaster area may also be eligible if it operates on a part-time or regular basis within the defined disaster area, and equipment and/or a plant the small business owns was located in the defined disaster area and was damaged by the eligible disaster.

Owners operating multiple small businesses may apply for grant funding for each eligible separate business up to the maximum amount available.

Making a grant application

Service NSW outlines how to start a grant application, however if you are a client, please speak with the Allan Hall team about obtaining documents if you require assistance:

a MyServiceNSW Account
proof of identity
a valid ABN/ACN number
evidence of non-profit status (if applicable)
insurance details (if applicable)
business banking details for payment.

For grant applications seeking up to $50,000, applicants need:

to nominate the grant amount being claimed
evidence of direct damage (in the form of photos and quotes, tax invoices or receipts), and
to provide a list of items being proposing to spend the grant on – this should include details, including cost, of items to be replaced or repaired and/or proposed clean-up activities to be undertaken.

For grants applications seeking more than $15,000, applicants need to provide invoices for completed work for the entire amount of funding for which is being applied.

Applicants unable to provide evidence of direct damage may use other appropriate evidence to prove financial impact of the damage. This may be requested as additional information and evidence to support an application.

Important

The total amount being requested from the grant should equal the amounts shown by proposed expenditure in the application.

To ensure an application is processed without delay, list each item to be purchased with funding, the known or estimated cost of each item and documentation to support each item e.g. an official quotation, invoice or receipt dated from the date of the flooding in your LGA.

For amounts between $15,000 and $50,000, evidence of payment means:

an invoice including the name, address and ABN (if applicable) of the entity that issued the invoice and a description of each item included, clearly identifiable as being related to the approved expenditure and to damage from the eligible disaster
a receipt including the name and address and ABN (if applicable) of the entity that issued the receipt and a description of each item to which the receipt relates
a copy of bank transfer and/or bank statement.

Online applications for the NSW flood recovery grant are open. To commence an application, go to Service NSW or call the team at Allan Hall Business Advisors on Sydney’s Northern Beaches on 02 9981 2300 for assistance.

Primary producers may be eligible for tailored financial assistance. Please visit the Rural Assistance Authority for information on the financial assistance available to primary producers.

To review grant notes, proof of identity and auditing requirements, please visit Service NSW.

SME Recovery Loan Scheme

Posted on 15 March 2021 | by Allan Hall

Expanded SME loan scheme

The government has announced an extension and expansion of its SME Recovery Loan Scheme.

Enhancing lenders’ ability to provide cheaper credit, the scheme is allowing many otherwise vulnerable SMEs to access vital additional funding to get through the impact of Coronavirus, recover and invest for the future.

The expansion of the scheme will see the limit of eligible loans rise from $1 million to $5 million, as well as a cost split shift with the government guaranteeing a higher portion of the loan. The shift would see the government’s 50-50 split with banks shift to an 80-20 split.

Businesses with a higher turnover are expected to also benefit, as the cap on eligible turnover increases from $50 million to $250 million.

Borrowers will be offered a repayment holiday on both principal and interest for up to 24 months, with loan terms increased from five years to 10 years.

The expanded scheme builds on the framework established in the two phases of the Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme, and specifically targets SMEs currently receiving JobKeeper. The scheme is only open to recipients of the JobKeeper payment between 4 January 2021 and 28 March 2021.

Loans will be made available from 1 April 2021 until 31 December 2021.

Both self‑employed individuals and non-profit businesses are eligible. Businesses that have accessed loans in Phase 1 and Phase 2 can also apply for loans under the scheme.

Got questions about further eligibility requirements or how to apply for a loan? Get in touch with our Tax & Accounting team who will be able to assist you on 02 9981 2300.