Storm and Flood Disaster Recovery Small Business Grant

Contents

• Available Funding
• Eligibility Criteria
• Applications
• Record Keeping

Available Funding

The maximum grant amount available is $50,000.

• Funds of up to $15,000 will be provided to eligible, approved applicants as long as quotes or estimates are submitted when you apply. You do not need to provide evidence of payment at this stage.
  
  If you are seeking additional funding after this, evidence, including valid tax invoices, will be required for all funding claimed including the first $15,000.
  
  
• To receive funds of between $15,000 to $50,000, you will need to submit evidence of payment of the relevant costs at the time you apply.
  
  
• If your initial grant application is for an amount less than $50,000, you can submit further applications if you require additional funds to complete eligible clean-up and reinstatement activities up to that amount.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, you must be a small business owner or a not-for profit organisation in a defined disaster area and:

1. 1. have suffered direct damage – 'direct damage' means a direct and material impact of flooding on business assets or equipment.
   
   2. be primarily responsible for meeting the costs you are claiming
   
   3. intend to re-establish your small business or not-for-profit organisation within the same area
   
   4. if you are a small business, have held an ABN (which you currently hold) and engaged in carrying on the small business at the time of the floods in the defined disaster area
   
   5. if you are a not-for-profit organisation, be registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) or an equivalent state regulatory body and have held that registration at the time of the eligible disaster.

Sole traders with no employees who fulfil the above criteria are eligible to apply if you can show that you derive a majority of your income from the small business, or that:

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

Small business is defined as a business that:

1. 1. holds an active Australian Business Number (ABN); and
   
   2. is structured as a company, joint venture, partnership, trust or as a sole trader;
   
   3. employs exactly or fewer than 20 full-time-equivalent employees. That is, the sum total of all standard hours worked by all employees (whether full-time or part-time) is less than the number of standard hours which would be worked by 20 full-time employees, as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics; and
   
   4. for the purpose of this Grant, may be a Not-For-Profit Organisation.

If you operate multiple small businesses, you may apply for grant funding for each eligible separate business up to the maximum amount available.

The grant is not available:

• if you’ve successfully received funding or assistance from any other government source or program or donation for your small business or not-for-profit organisation and that funding or assistance has met the same costs you are claiming in your application
  
  
• if you’re entitled to make a claim under an insurance policy for the expenses listed in your application
  
  
• if you’ve received or are entitled to receive the expenses you are claiming under an insurance policy
  
  
• to cover loss of income as a result of the eligible disaster
  
  
• if your claim is for repairs to a building that the small business or not-for-profit organisation lets to a person for residential or commercial purposes, unless you let the property in the course of operating the small business or not-for-profit organisation. Superannuation funds and personal investment vehicles are not regarded as businesses
  
  
• if you are a sole trader with no employees and you do not derive a majority of your income from the business.

Applications

An application guide is available on the Service NSW website to assist you with the application process, including a detailed step-by-step guide.

You will need the following:

• a MyServiceNSW Account - you can create one when you start your application
  
  
• your proof of identity
  
  
• your valid ABN/ACN number
  
  
• evidence of your non-profit status (if applicable)
  
  
• your business banking details for payment

Record Keeping

You may be audited in the future, so you will need to keep all documentary evidence relating to your application and assistance provided under the scheme for one year after the closing date for applications. As part of an audit, you will be required to provide evidence that you have used grant funds in accordance with the claims made in your application (for example, official receipts).

If you think you may be eligible for the Storm And Flood Disaster Recovery Small Business Grant and need assistance with information or determining your eligibility, please don't hesitate to reach out to our team.

We wish you and your business every success!

*This information is relevant at the time of publishing and is subject to change*