Deadline: September 19, 2025
The Shire of Ashburton Small Business Grant Program 2025 – 2026 offers targeted funding support for start-up and existing small businesses looking to grow or diversify in the Ashburton region.
The focus is on applicant/s who must be a Sole Trader or a Small Business of up to 20 employees. The business must be home or office-based, with the principal place of business within the Ashburton region, and the applicant must be a permanent resident of the Shire of Ashburton.
Small business grant funding requests need to clearly identify and meet a service gap and/or demand for the community and visitors in the region. Applicants can be either new (grassroots) or existing small businesses looking to expand and/or diversify their service or products.
Applicants must supply a basic business plan to support their application, have an Australian Business Number (ABN), be 18 years or older (those under 18 can apply for the Shire’s Young Entrepreneur’s Grant program), and disclose any other grant funding received in the past financial year.
Funding allocations will be between $2,500 and $10,000 per applicant from a total pool of $50,000 provided by the Shire. A 30% business contribution is required for eligibility. Grants can be used for business applications and registration fees, capability and capacity development, or essential equipment, but not for computer hardware or software, travel, accommodation, day-to-day administration, or consumables. Grant assessment is managed by a designated panel, with successful recommendations reviewed by the Economic Tourism and Development Committee in November 2025. Grants must be acquitted after one operational year. Applications close at 2pm on Friday, 19 September 2025.
For more information, visit Shire of Ashburton.
