Business Basics Grants Program (Australia)

Priorities

• This round of Business Basics is focused on business enhancement. Applicants can apply for funding for grant funded activities under the following priorities:
  • Professional business advice
  • Strategic marketing services
  • Website build and upgrades

Funding Information

• You can apply for $7,500 (excluding GST) in funding. If successful, funding is paid upfront on approval. Successful applicants don’t have to co-contribute to this grant but must pay for any related expenses in excess of the $7,500 grant funding.
• They will not fund activities with either:
  • a total cost of less than $7,500 (excluding GST)

Eligible Activities

• Professional business advice
  • Business plans
  • Financial planning and budgeting
  • Business structure advice
  • Operational efficiency reviews
  • Business mentoring and guidance
  • Strategic partnerships and networking
  • Examples:
    • Comprehensive business plan to expand your services outlining the core elements ensuring a structured approach to growth and sustainability.
    • Development of risk management strategies, including contingency plans for operational, financial, and market risks.
    • Support in securing business loans or investor funding, including preparation of financial documents.
• Strategic marketing services
  • Strategic marketing plans including search engine optimisation advice
  • Content marketing strategy
  • Market research
  • Branding strategy
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM) implementation
  • Examples:
    • Strategy to revamp your business’ promotional content through using copywriting services for websites, email campaigns, and promotional materials.
    • Setup of a CRM system to improve customer retention and streamline sales processes.
    • Industry reports detailing industry analysis and forecasts you need to make strategic decisions.
• Website build/upgrades
  • Website build or upgrade (including website refresh)
  • Adding eCommerce functionality
  • Developing new website content
  • Integration with third-party tools
  • Examples:
    • Integrating your website with third-party tools such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems, email marketing platforms, or booking software.
    • Migrating your existing content to a new platform or content management system (CMS) like WordPress, Shopify, or Squarespace.

Non-eligible Activities

• They will not fund:
  • activities bought via direct selling (e.g. by party plan or network marketing)
  • delivery, credit card and transaction fees
  • equipment of any kind including computer hardware/gadgets (e.g. computer servers, PCs, tablets/iPads, mobile phones, headphones) and other equipment (e.g. televisions, point of sales systems, EFTPOS, card/chip readers)
  • franchise fees
  • general business operating costs (e.g. bookkeeping/accounting, tax returns)
  • goods, services, or fees from related parties
  • goods and services paid using crypto-currencies, cash, barter, or services in-kind
  • GST, registration, and fees
  • implementation of marketing tactics such as advertising, direct marketing or campaign delivery (e.g. Google AdWords, Facebook advertising or similar expenses)
  • memberships and joining fees
  • purchase of stock
  • real estate/property, hire, lease, or rental fees
  • salaries and wages
  • software and licences1
  • travel and accommodation
  • utilities (e.g. internet, phone, water and/or waste bills)
  • vehicles of any kind
  • website hosting
  • website maintenance generally considered ‘business as usual’.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for this grant, your business must meet all of the following criteria at the time you submit your application:
  • have less than 5 employees (by headcount)
  • be operating and have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • have a registered Queensland headquarters location (as per your Australian Business Register (ABR) record)
  • have a minimum trading history of 1 year
  • a maximum turnover of $300,000 for the last financial year (2023/24)
  • not have been approved for funding under an earlier Business Basics round
  • not be insolvent or have owners/directors that are undischarged or currently bankrupt

Application Process

• Applicants will be notified at the end of each stage (ROI shortlisting and full application) of their outcome.
• This grant program is competitively assessed in 2 stages, meaning not all applications will be funded:
  • Stage 1: Registration of Interest (ROI)
  • Stage 2: Full Application.
• Stage 1:
  • opened for ROI applications at 9am, Monday 30 September 2024
  • closes for ROI applications at 5pm, Friday 11 October 2024.
• Pre-launch notification of this grant and access to supporting documents was provided on 12 September 2024.

For more information, visit Queensland Government.