Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Eligible businesses receive department-funded improvement audits.
- Application opened: 10 December 2025
- Application closes: 6 February 2026, 4:00 pm
Program objective
The objective of the Program is to help SME manufacturers in regional NSW identify and implement continuous improvement/lean principles in their business operations to drive efficiency and productivity improvements.
The Program is offering:
- An audit of select SME manufacturers to identify the requirements and expected costs to implement continuous improvement/lean principles in their business operations to drive efficiency and productivity improvements. The audit will investigate the potential for efficiency improvements in each business through the adoption of lean principles.
The target outcomes of the Program are to:
- Accelerate regional economic growth and diversification by enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of SME manufacturers, supporting job creation and investment attraction.
- Strengthen regional manufacturing ecosystems by building capability for advanced manufacturing, improving supply chain resilience and positioning NSW regions as hubs for innovation and high-value production.
This program is administered by Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible, an applicant must meet ALL of the following requirements:
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- be able to demonstrate the project facility operates in a manufacturing industry through a relevant Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) code or Business Industry Code (BIC)
- have an operating manufacturing facility in an Eligible location (see below)
- be a small-to-medium enterprise (SME) business (between 10-200 full-time equivalent employees)
- hold or commit to obtaining public liability insurance of not less than $10 million per occurrence or hold equivalent or better self-insurance to the satisfaction of the department
- be a fit and proper person/legal entity
- not be insolvent, bankrupt or subject to ongoing legal proceedings
- declare in the application form that the applicant is not aware of any issues which could cause reputational or other risks to the NSW Government
- be able to provide timely access on reasonable request to the service provider appointed by the NSW Government to complete business audits
- be able to allocate necessary resources during the Regional Business Improvement Program audit period
Eligible Location:
Businesses must be located in one of the 95 regional NSW Local Government Areas (LGAs), the Unincorporated Far West region or on Lord Howe Island (see Guidelines).
Types of projects funded under this grant
The Program will offer each successful applicant the following:
- An audit to identify the requirements and expected cost to implement continuous improvement/lean principles in their business operations. The audit will further estimate the potential efficiency improvement of the business through the adoption of these principles.
- An audit report which outlines business needs and opportunities to implement continuous improvement/lean principles in business operations to realise benefits, as well as quantifiable metrics that demonstrate the potential return on investment to the business, and efficiencies gained (as a result of implementation of the audit’s findings).
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development will arrange for a suitably qualified provider to deliver the Regional Business Improvement Program audits.
Note: The scope of activities of the Program is limited to delivering the above and does not include financial assistance to businesses to implement audit findings.
When the project can start and end
The project should be started by 1 February 2026 and the project must be completed by 30 June 2026.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Each application must include the following documents listed in the Application Form:
- evidence of valid public liability insurance or a commitment to obtaining.
- evidence of Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) code or Business Industry Code (BIC) verifying the business operates in a manufacturing industry.
- evidence of being a small to medium-sized business (SME) (10-200 full-time equivalent employees).
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Start the application
Applicants must submit their applications by clicking the ‘Apply now’ button on the program’s Grants and Funding Finder website (below).
When to apply
Applicants must submit their applications by the closing date and time listed in the Guidelines.
Applicants are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible, as funding will be committed to applications assessed as suitable in order of applications received.
The department retains discretion to extend the closing date and time and to accept late applications in extenuating circumstances.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Executive Director, Regional Economic Development
Stages
Determining which applications are successful involves these stages:
- eligibility assessment
- assessment panel
- decision.
Please note: the department typically receives far more applications than it can support.
Applicants are not guaranteed to be successful even if the application is eligible and funding will be committed to applications assessed as suitable in order of applications received up until program funding is exhausted.
Program team
The program team comprises departmental staff who are responsible for the delivery of the program. The program team will coordinate all aspects of the assessment process.
The program team may seek advice from subject matter experts within the department, other NSW Government agencies and other sources, such as probity advisors, to ensure recommendations are made with consistency, integrity, fairness and accountability, while delivering value for money for NSW.
The program team may contact applicants seeking clarification of information in their applications or further supporting material and will be responsible for responding to applicant queries and feedback.
Eligibility assessment
The program team will assess applications received against the eligibility criteria.
Eligible applications will be recommended to the assessment panel in the order they were received, on a first-come, first-served basis, up until the program funding is exhausted.
Assessment panel
An assessment panel will assess each application based on the eligibility criteria in the guidelines.
As part of the assessment, the panel may take other factors into consideration when recommending the suitability of an application, including but not limited to:
- geographical distribution of businesses across the eligible LGAs
- diversity of manufacturing sectors represented/participating probity advice and issues that could cause reputational or other risks to the NSW Government
- other factors deemed relevant and important in a whole of NSW context, such as alignment with existing NSW Government policies and strategies.
Decision
The decision-maker is listed in the Guidelines.
The decision-maker will review the availability of funds and the recommendations of the assessment panel.
In limited circumstances, the decision-maker may waive eligibility requirements, for example, where not doing so would lead to perverse or unfair outcomes; be contrary to the policy intent; or damage the reputation and integrity of the Program.
If the decision-maker departs from the Assessment Panel’s recommendations, the decision maker will arrange for the departures to be published with reasons.
Final decision
The decision maker’s decision is final in all matters, including:
- the eligibility of applications
- the selection of successful applications.
The department will send successful applicants a letter of conditional offer. Successful applicants may be required to sign confidentiality undertakings, agreeing to keep the outcome of the application process confidential until the NSW Government makes a public announcement.
Support and contact
economic.programs@dpird.nsw.gov.au