Grants to deliver events during NSW Small Business Month October 2023 that directly benefit and support the small business community.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $3,500
- Application opened: 27 June 2023
- Application closed: 1 August 2023, 9:00 am
Program objective
NSW Small Business Month is a month-long program created for small businesses across New South Wales to attend events aligned to their individual business interests. It's all about providing an opportunity for small businesses to take the time to work on their business in October.
Eligible organisations are invited to apply for a grant to host an event between 1 to 31 October 2023 that meet the assessment criteria. This is a competitive grants program.
This program is administered by Small Business Commissioner.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible for the NSW Small Business Month grant, applicants must meet these criteria:
- Be a NSW local council, chamber of commerce, industry association or other not-for-profit based in New South Wales or with a presence/member base in New South Wales
- Be a legal entity that can enter into a funding agreement with NSW Government
- Have a business identification number (e.g. ABN)
- Hold an event(s) focused on one or more of the My Small Business categories for NSW small businesses between 1 to 31 October 2023 and upload the event details to the NSW Small Business Month website.
Who can’t apply
Those who cannot apply include
- For-profit organisations
- Individuals
- Organisations that have an outstanding NSW Small Business Month grant or final activity report from previous years.
Types of projects funded under this grant
The grant must be used to deliver events that focus on providing insights, tools and resources for small businesses in New South Wales. Events can be in person or virtual. They must be free or low cost (up to $25 incl GST) for attendees.
The funding amounts available are:
- Up to $2,500 for local councils for a face-to-face event(s)
- Up to $3,500 for other eligible applicants for a face-to-face event(s)
- Up to $1,500 for all eligible applicants for a virtual event(s).
Funding can be used for:
- speakers, trainers and/or facilitators
- catering (excluding alcohol)
- venue hire
- marketing material and promotion.
For your event to be considered it can be virtual or face-to-face, and it must be either a:
- workshop (practical, hands on, small group)
- training program, or
- seminar (lecture style, large group).
Events should align to one or more of the categories of My Small Business:
- My Small Business Brand
- My Small Business Cyber Security
- My Small Business Health
- My Small Business Online
- My Small Business Resilience
- My Small Business Team
- My Small Business Trade.
What can’t you apply for
Funding cannot be used to cover or pay for
- business as usual expenses, such as staff wages or capital costs
- alcohol, tobacco or any other controlled substances, or the promotion of the same
- prize money or gifts.
Example projects
Examples events
My Small Business Online: A webinar looking at how small businesses can tap into marketing on emerging social media platforms.
My Small Business Cyber Security: A seminar on cyber security for your digital platforms.
My Small Business Health: A face-to-face workshop on mental health best practices to implement in small businesses.
My Small Business Resilience: A face-to-face workshop on how small business operators can de-risk operations and have plans to deal with the unexpected, whether that be natural disasters or sudden changes in economic conditions or competition.
My Small Business Trade: An online training program on how to grow your business through expanding on or creating new products and services for your small business.
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
You can download the complete guidelines for applicants:
File
NSW Small Business Month guidelines 2023 (PDF 1.54MB)
Prepare your application with this checklist
Make sure you
- meet the eligibility requirements
- have a clear project description
- know the project impact
- have a target audience reach
- have examples of previously held events
- have a budget.
Address the eligibility criteria
Eligible organisations should:
- Be a NSW local council, chamber of commerce, industry association or other not-for-profit based in New South Wales or with a presence/member base in New South Wales
- Be a legal entity that can enter into a funding agreement with NSW Government
- Have a business identification number (e.g. ABN)
- Hold an event(s) focused on one or more of the My Small Business categories for NSW small businesses between 1 to 31 October 2023 and upload the event details to the NSW Small Business Month website.
Address the assessment criteria
Your application will be assessed against the criteria below. You must respond to all criteria. This is a competitive grants program. The application will be assessed and ranked according to the responses and attachments in your SmartyGrants submission. Please note you will be required to provide a recent bank statement to help identify your organisation type and if successful, set up your organisation in the payment system.
| Criteria | Weighting | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Project Detail | 20% | Your application should include:
|
| Project Impact | 25% | Your application should demonstrate:
|
| Audience Reach | 25% | Your application should include:
|
| History and Experience | 20% | Your application should demonstrate:
|
| Value for Money | 10% | Your budget should include:
|
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: NSW Small Business Commissioner
After you complete your application on the SmartyGrants online platform, you will receive an automated response confirming we have received your application along with a copy of your application. We assess all applications after the closing date. You will find out the outcome of your grant application approximately four weeks after the closing date.
Support and contact
Phone: 1300 795 534
Email: smallbusiness.month@smallbusiness.nsw.gov.au
The NSW Small Business Month team can provide information on the grant program process and eligibility requirements.