Funding available for small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) has announced small businesses can apply for relief funding from Monday 25 May 2020.

There are 67 grants available, of $10,000 each, to assist businesses that are recovering from the effects of the pandemic. The fund, which has been made possible by a donation from Salesforce, is intended to support initiatives by small businesses to adapt and innovate in order to emerge from the challenging period in a stronger position.

COSBOA CEO Peter Strong said, “We’re proud to team up with Salesforce to deliver much needed support for small businesses. We encourage every eligible small business to get in touch and apply, this money could be essential to getting your business back to work and back to growth.”

The Council has said it will welcome a variety of proposals, functional or innovative. These might include re-designing and re-modelling workspaces, upgrading or adapting a business’ digital presence or a new approach to marketing.

Assessments of each proposal will be based on the proposal and expected outcomes.

To apply, applicants will need to provide COSBOA with a video or written case study of implementing the proposal and the outcome. Proposals must be implemented by 31 December 2020.

Small businesses eligible for the Small Business Relief Fund must have:

• An Australian Business Number (ABN)
• Between 2 and 50 employees
• Been in business since 1 March 2018
• An annual revenue between $150,000 and $2 million

Applications open on the COSBOA website at 9am on Monday 25 May 2020 and close at 5pm on Monday 1 June 2020. Eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection panel of three people and successful businesses will be announced on 29 June 2020.

For more information including full terms and conditions, please click here.

Date published 22 May 2020 | Last updated 28 May 2020