Rural and regional small businesses in Southern Queensland may be eligible for a grant of up to $5,000
Rural and regional small businesses in Southern Queensland may be eligible for a grant of up to $5,000
About the Professional Services Fund Grant
If you’re a small business located in rural and regional Southern Queensland, you may be eligible for a Professional Services Fund Grant of up to $5,000 when you engage with the Small Business Financial Counselling Service (SBFCS) Southern Queensland.
The purpose of this grant is to allow small businesses owners in rural and regional locations to obtain funding for specialist 3rd party advice, services or activities that will benefit their business. Helping these small businesses to respond and recover from the challenges of drought, natural disasters and COVID-19.
What can be funded
To be eligible, the specialist 3rd party advice, services or activities need to directly relate to the recovery and long-term viability of your small business. Some examples may include:
- financial advice or planning, which normally requires the provider to hold an appropriate licence
- strategic marketing and communication advice
- workforce planning and work health and safety advice
- specialist training and study directly related to the core function of the business
- specialist taxation, accounting, legal and business planning advice about:
- business structures and relationships, and business plans
- monitoring and reviewing business performance
- managing risk
- succession planning
- preparing for drought and natural disasters
- diversifying the business enterprise
- adding value to products and services produced by the business.
Regular taxation advice relating to preparing and lodging tax returns or activity statements is not eligible for the grant.
Who is eligible
The Professional Services Fund Grant is available to small businesses in rural and regional areas throughout Southern Queensland.
Small businesses located in metropolitan or city areas such as Brisbane and the Gold Coast are not eligible.
To be eligible for the grant, you need to:
- be a small business owner
- hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and be currently trading
- employ 19 or fewer full-time equivalent employees
- be located in a rural or regional area of Southern Queensland
- be experiencing or at risk of financial hardship
- be active clients of the SBFCS Southern Queensland’s Regional Small Business Support Program
- in the opinion of the Small Business Financial Counsellor, benefit from obtaining specialist advice, services or activities to support your business which can’t be provided by a Financial Counsellor.
Primary producers are not eligible for the grant.
If you’re currently not an active client of our Regional Small Business Support Program, you can still apply. As part of the application process, you will need to show your business:
- is experiencing or is at risk of financial hardship
- has been impacted by drought, natural disaster or COVID-19
- is willing to engage as a client of the Regional Small Business Support Program
- is not eligible for support under the Rural Financial Counselling Service Program.
How to apply
To apply for the Professional Services Fund Grant:
- download and read the guidelines
- download and complete the application form
- obtain the required supporting documents
- email the completed application form and supporting documents to info@sbfcssq.org.au
If you have any questions or need assistance with the application form, please give us a call on 1300 732 777.
This initiative is funded by the Australian Government via the National Emergency Management Agency.
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