Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant Program - Round 2: Opening 1 July 2020

The Queensland Government is extending the Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant Program.

As part of Stage 2 of Queensland's Economic Recovery Strategy – Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs, up to $100 million is being made available to deliver a second round of grants, with half of this funding specifically earmarked for regional small businesses located outside of South East Queensland.

The objective of this program is to support small businesses subject to closure or highly impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown restrictions announced by the Queensland Government, to adapt and sustain their operations, and build resilience.

The program aims to see small and micro businesses:

• prepare for the safe resumption of trading in the post COVID-19 recovery
• continue to meet operating costs
• access digital technologies to rebuild business operations and transition to a new way of doing business
• respond to online opportunities, where possible, to sustain employment and maintain potential for longer-term growth
• upskill and reskill business owners and staff to benefit from new technologies or business models
• embrace business diversification to adapt and sustain operations
• create or retain employment.

For Round 2, funding is being equally divided between Regional Queensland and South East Queensland (SEQ).

When applying for Round 2, you are a South East Queensland (SEQ) business if your principal place of business is located in one of the following local government areas:

• Brisbane City Council
• City of Gold Coast
• Ipswich City Council
• Lockyer Valley Regional Council
• Logan City Council
• Moreton Bay Regional Council
• Noosa Shire Council
• Redlands City Council
• Scenic Rim Regional Council
• Somerset Regional Council
• Sunshine Coast Council
• Toowoomba Regional Council.

This funding round may only be open for a short period due to demand and will close when the funding allocation is anticipated to be exhausted, therefore it is strongly recommended that you prepare your application and supporting documentation ready to submit when Round 2 open on 1 July 2020.

For further information, or to get ready to submit an application, please visit the Queensland Government website.

Regional Home Building Boost

Released today, the Regional Home Building Boost Grant is a state government initiative to help home owners in regional Queensland into their new home sooner.

It will give you $5,000 towards the purchase or construction of a brand-new house, unit or townhouse valued at less than $750,000.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the grant:

• you must be at least 18 years of age
• you must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident (or applying with someone who is)
• you or your spouse must not have received a previous regional home building boost grant
• you must be buying or building a brand new home
• the value of the home including the land is less than $750,000
• you must move into the new home as your principal place of residence within 1 year of the completed transaction and live there continuously for 6 months
• the home is being bought or built in a regional Queensland area of:
  • Cairns
  • Central Queensland
  • Darling Downs Maranoa
  • Mackay–Isaac–Whitsunday
  • Queensland–Outback
  • Toowoomba
  • Townsville
  • Wide Bay.

Eligible transactions

Eligible contracts must be entered into between 16 June 2020 and 31 December 2020 and must be one of the following:

• a contract to purchase a new home including a substantially renovated home
• a contract to build a new home.

If you are an owner-builder who is building a new home, your build must have commenced from 16 June onwards.

If you are building your first home, you may also be eligible for the Queensland first home owners’ grant.

For further information, or to apply for the grant, please visit the Queensland Government website.