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If you’re a small business owner, chances are you’ve been hit pretty hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ve probably been forced to think and work outside the box to adapt to the ever-changing nature of the pandemic, or shut your doors as a result of the strict self-isolation measures that have been put in place.
There’s no denying that these are challenging and uncertain times. However, there’s some incredibly welcome news: The City of Sydney has launched an extra $2 million in special funding to keep small businesses afloat during and after the pandemic. This small business grant provides much-needed funds to help with online activities and ecommerce, adapt operating models, or provide training and development to the team.
So what exactly does the grant cover, and is your business eligible? We break it down below.
Note: Applications close on Monday 27 April at 5pm sharp. It’s important to act fast and start preparing your application ASAP to get in before the deadline.
What does the small business grant include?
The City of Sydney’s small business grants provide eligible SMBs with up to $10,000 in funding to cover the costs associated with adapting to the pandemic. These can cover things like the cost to switch up or diversify your operating model, fees for training and upskilling your team, or costs associated with purchasing and installing equipment or making alterations.
For many of you reading this, the pandemic has also meant that you’ve had to adapt your business to sell online. There’s some great news on that front: the grant also covers costs associated with online and eCommerce development.
This can cover things like:
- Building an online store to sell or receive payments
- Developing digital content such as videos, web pages and mobile apps
- Digital marketing and promotion for your business, such as with paid search or display advertising
If you’re not sure how best to adapt your online presence for COVID-19, remember that the entire AdVisible team is here to support you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us — we can guide you through the next steps, and work to support you in preparing your application for the grant.
Am I eligible for the small business grant?
The grant is open to SMBs located within the City of Sydney local government area. To be eligible, you need to be a for-profit organisation, employ between 1 and 19 full-time staff, and have an annual turnover of less than $10 million.
What do businesses need to demonstrate?
On top of meeting the eligibility criteria listed above, there are a few things you need to be able to demonstrate as part of your application.
Firstly, you need to be able to show the impact COVID-19 has had on your business. Your application also needs to outline the key details of your project, show how the grant will help support your business in adapting to COVID-19, and outline the skills and capacity that you need to get the job done. The application will also ask you about how your project benefits the local community.
For a full breakdown of the details of the grant, and to apply, visit the City of Sydney small business grants page.
