The Western Australian Government has a range of state-based grants on offer to eligible small business. These include support for businesses which are emerging, rural, needing financial recovery and those who have faced unexpected circumstances.
Current support available includes:
- Current Western Australian Government Support for Small & Emerging Businesses
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- The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements
- Advanced Manufacturing Commercialisation Fund
- Apprenticeship & Traineeship Re-engagement Incentive WA
- Collie Futures Small Grants Program
- Northern Australia Development Program – Industry Transformation Grant Opportunity
- Entrepreneurs’ Programme — Growth Grants
- Advancing Renewables Program
- Rural West Small Business Professional Services Grant
- Current Western Australian Government Support for Disaster Relief
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- Tropical Cyclone Seroja Small Business Recovery Grants WA
- Current Western Australian Government Support for businesses affected by COVID-19
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- COVID-19 Business Assistance Package
- Small Business Assistance Grant
Current Western Australian Support for Small & Emerging Businesses
The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements offers a wage subsidy to financially support employers taking on new apprentices or trainees.
Employers may be eligible for a subsidy of 50% of the apprentice’s gross wages if they take on an Australian apprentice between 5 October 2020 and 31 March 2022.
The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencement subsidy covers an eligible apprentice’s wages for 12 months, up to $7,000 limit per quarter.
Applications close 31 March 2022. Apply online via the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network provider website.
Australian Apprenticeship Support Network provider
- Have engaged with an Australian apprentice between 5 October 2020 and 31 March 2022.
- Undertake an Australian apprentice or trainee studying for a Certificate II or higher qualification and has a formally approved training contract by the state training authority.
- Prove the apprentice in mention does not receive another form of Australian Government wage subsidy.
Small-to-medium manufacturing enterprises may be eligible for funding to commercialise new products and processes through the Western Australian Government.
Eligible recipients will receive a match funding between $100,000 and $1 million to undertake projects that align with one or more of the 6 National Manufacturing Priorities:
- Good and beverage.
- Medical products.
- Resources technology and critical minerals processing.
- Recycling and clean energy.
- Defence.
- Space.
Applications are open until 30 June 2022. Learn more about the grant and registry through the Advanced Manufacturing Commercialisation Fund website.
To be eligible, your business must:
- Have an Australian business number (ABN), an Australian company number (ACN) and be non-tax-exempt.
- Be a small to medium manufacturing enterprise with less than 200 employees.
- Be registered for the goods and services tax (GST) and an entity incorporated in Australia.
This program supports businesses to employ apprentices and trainees to maintain the supply of skilled workers across a range of trades and occupations. Eligible applicants are those whose training contract was terminated or cancelled by a previous employer on or after 1 March 2020.
Eligible businesses will receive a one-off payment of $6,000 for an apprentice and $3,000 for a trainee.
Note: “Claims for the Re-engagement Incentive should be made within 3 months of the apprentice or trainee passing the probation period and prior to 30 June 2022.”
To be eligible, your business must:
- Have an active training contract for the apprentice or trainee registered with the Department of Training and Workforce Development’s Apprenticeship Office.
- Show the commencement date of employment of the apprentice or trainee is between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2022.
- Provide proof the apprentice or trainee resides in Western Australia including the Indian Ocean Territories.
- Show that the apprentice or trainee has passed the relevant probation period or completed the training contract, with the new employer.
Applications close 30 June 2022. Apply online via the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Re-engagement Incentive website.
The Western Australian Government has implemented the Collie Futures Small Grants Program to help create more job opportunities in the Collie region.
Eligible Western Australia businesses will receive up to $100,000 for activities and expenditure items including, but not limited to:
- Increasing jobs.
- Increasing productivity.
- Expanding or diversifying new business streams.
- Developing skills or capabilities.
- Fostering co-investment opportunities and partnerships.
- Development of new business streams or expansion of existing businesses.
- Development of new technologies.
- Research development.
- Training courses and / or skills development.
- Business case development.
- Events which are beneficial to the region’s economy.
To be eligible, your business must:
- Be an existing small-to-medium enterprise.
- Be a not-for-profit (including voluntary and community groups).
- Be an incorporated body.
Applications close 30 June 2023. Apply through the Collie Futures Small Grants Program website.
Grants between $3 million and $10 million are available for eligible medium-to-large enterprises in Northern Australia.
The grant has been designed to help Northern Australian businesses contribute to regional transformational change.
Two elements of the program include:
- Grant opportunities for business development, industry transformation and more.
- Access to business advisory services to build and strengthen businesses.
To be eligible, your business must:
- Have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Have a trading corporation or an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust.
- Prove trading activities form a significant proportion of the corporation / trust’s overall activities as to merit it being described as a trading corporation / trust; or be a substantial and not merely peripheral activity of the corporation / trust.
- Be a medium to large business and have at least $6 million in eligible expenditure.
To be eligible, your project must:
- Be located in or will significantly benefit Northern Australia.
- Be aimed at a new industry or significantly growing the value of an existing industry and contribute to transformational change in a region.
Applications close 24 October 2023. Apply online via the Business.gov.au website.
Businesses that have received a roadmap under one of the Entrepreneurs Program Growth services can apply for a Growth Grant.
The Growth Grant provides businesses with funding of between $2,500 (ex GST) and $20,000 (ex GST) to cover up to 50% of eligible project costs.
The grant is for 1 year and can only be applied once for each growth service you receive.
Eligible applicants must have already received a completed plan from one of the following services:
To be eligible, your project and eligible activities must:
- Have at least $5000 in total, eligible project costs.
- Not have already started.
- Link to an area of the business as specified in your plan.
- Give you more abilities to trade in Australia and other countries.
- Engage services outside of your business.
Applications must be submitted within 1 year of receiving your roadmap or plan. Apply through the business.gov.au website.
The Advancing Renewables Program offers a matched funding of between $100,000 and $50 million to develop renewable energy technologies.
Activities that may be eligible for funding must involve renewable energy technology or involve methods that can contribute to the program’s outcomes.
Eligible projects are to contribute to one or more of the following outcomes:
- Reduction in the cost of renewable energy.
- Increase in the value delivered by renewable energy.
- Improvement in technology and renewable energy readiness.
- Reduction in or removal of barriers to renewable energy uptake.
- Increase in skills, capacity and knowledge relevant to renewable energy.
To be eligible, you must have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and be an Australian incorporated entity (unless you’re applying for Desktop Studies and Analysis).
Applications can be made at any time. Apply through the Advancing Renewables Program via the Arena website.
The Small Business Professional Services Grant offers funding of up to $5,000 to help small business clients gain access to specialist third-party advice.
Eligible Rural West small business clients can seek advice from professional services. The Grant includes funding for activities which offer advice, services and activities directly related to business recovery and the long-term viability of the small business.
Eligible Client(s) must:
- Be a small business located regional and rural in drought-affected areas facing financial hardship.
- Be a small regional business facing financial hardship due to COVID-19 and or bushfires.
Eligible client(s) to receive counselling, a small business must:
- Have 19 or fewer employees.
- Show proof from a financial councillor that you are in or at risk of financial hardship.
- Be in a drought-affected rural area that is also defined as ‘MM3’ to ‘MM7’ on the Department of Health’s Modified Monash Model rurality classification (Drought affected clients).
- Be ineligible to access services under the existing RFCS program.
Applications close 21 December 2022. Apply by calling Rural West on 1800 612 004 or email enquiries@ruralwest.com.au.
Current Western Australian Support Disaster Relief
Reimbursement grants of up to $25,000 are available to help Western Australia small businesses directly impacted by Tropical Cyclone Seroja.
Funding is offered to eligible small businesses to cover cyclone-related clean-up and reinstatement costs.
Some of the clean-up activities include carting away damaged goods, leasing of temporary premises, payment for trades services and more.
Eligible local government areas include:
- Carnamah.
- Carnarvon.
- Chapman Valley.
- Coorow.
- Dalwallinu.
- Dandaragan.
- Greater Geraldton.
- Irwin.
- Koorda.
- Mingenew.
- Morawa.
- Mount Marshall.
- Northampton.
- Perenjori.
- Shark Bay.
- Three Springs.
To be eligible, your project and eligible activities must:
- Be a registered business with an Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Have been in business operations prior to and including the date of the eligible disaster.
- If a sole trader, derived most of their income from the business prior to the cyclone.
- Have suffered direct damage to their premises and/or tools of trade.
- Intend to re-establish their business in the same area.
Applications close 30 June 2022. Apply online via Tropical Cyclone Seroja Small Business Recovery Grants.
Current Western Australian Support for businesses affected by COVID-19
The Western Australia Government has launched a $67 million COVID-19 Business Assistance Package to eligible businesses experiencing a decrease in income due to COVID-19.
To support businesses in the long term, the package has been split into Level 1 and Level 2.
Level 1 and Level 2 have the following programs to support businesses subject to public health and social measures in Western Australia:
This package has eight tailored programs as an additional support to the $77 million Safe Transition Support Package.
The Level 1 COVID-19 Business Assistance Package includes:
Small Business Rental Relief Package
- $42 million Tenant Rent Relief Scheme which provides $3,000 grants to eligible small business tenants.
- $10.7 million Landlord Rent Relief Incentive for eligible landlords to receive $1,500 (who match the Government’s Tenant Rent Relief payments).
- $1.5 million Tenant Rental Credit Scheme to provide eligible small business tenants (Government-owned buildings) with a rental waiver or credit of $6,000.
Outdoor Dining & Entertainment Support Package
- $5 million Alfresco Support Program to reimburse small hospitality businesses with up to $5,000 for eligible costs associated with creating and or expanding an alfresco area.
- $3.5 million Waiver of Liquor Licencing fees to provided eligible businesses with a refund of their liquor licencing fees over the eligible time period.
- $1.8 million Nightclub Assistance Program will provide nightclubs impacted by capacity limits and social distancing with payments of up to $50,000.
- $1.3 million Performing Arts, Theatres and Cinemas Assistance Program, providing up to $50,000 for cash flow assistance for eligible indoor venues affected by capacity constraints.
Other Business Support
- $1 million Small Business Financial Counselling and Advisory Services are providing funds to expand small business support services administered by the Department of Communities.
The Level 2 COVID-19 Business Assistance Package includes:
$66.8 million Small Business Hardship Grants Program.
$2.8 million of payroll tax relief for large hospitality businesses.
$2.1 million for a COVID-19 Commercial Sporting Franchises Support Program.
Tiered grants will be provided to eligible businesses that have a 50 per cent or more reduction in turnover (relative to the same period last year) for any four-week period between 1 January 2022 and 30 April 2022. This will include:
$3,000 grant for sole traders (no employees).
$7,500 grant for micro businesses (those with one to five employees).
$20,000 grant for small businesses (those with six to 19 employees).
$50,000 for medium-sized businesses (those with 20 or more employees and with an annual payroll of up to $4 million).
Visit the Small Business Development Corporation website for more information.
Small businesses operating within hospitality, music events or creative and performing arts sector may be eligible for the Small Business Assistance Grant.
The Small Business Assistance Grant has been designed to financially support businesses that were directly impacted by Chief Health Officer’s COVID Restrictions from 23 December 2021 to 4 January 2022.
“Eligible employing businesses will receive $1,130 for each day (up to a maximum of $12,500), while eligible non-employing small businesses will receive $400 for each impacted day (up to a maximum of $4,400).”
To be eligible, your business must:
- Be located within the Perth, Rottnest or Peel regions with an annual turnover of more than $50,000.
- Have a valid and active Australian Business Number (ABN) and an Australia-wide payroll of less than $4 million in the 2020-21 financial year.
- Operate in the hospitality, music events or creative and performing arts sectors that were directly impacted by the restrictions.
- Demonstrate a reduction of at least 30 per cent in turnover compared to the same time the previous year is directly linked to the restricted trading conditions.
Applications close 31 March 2022. Apply through the SmartyGrants Website.
Resources to Find Western Australian Grants in the Future
Finding the right grant for a specific circumstance can be hard to find. Sometimes grants will open without warning, making it important to know the correct resources to use to find them.
Some of the top resources available to find Western Australian grants are:
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional legal or financial advice. While the information outlined is presumed correct at the time of publication, please consult the corresponding government websites to ensure accuracy and current status.