Expansion of the WA Government Small Business Hardship Grant

On 27 April 2022 a revision and expansion of the original Small Business Hardship Grant program was announced. Two tiers of grants will now be available to businesses that experienced a decrease in turnover for a consecutive two-week period between 1 January 2022 and 30 April 2022. The previous iteration of the grant required businesses to demonstrate a decline in turnover of 50 per cent – the revision has decreased the threshold to 40 per cent, and has introduced a new tier for businesses that experienced a decline in business turnover of 30 per cent or more.

 

The Small Business Hardship Grants program will provide tiered grants to eligible businesses, dependant on the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employees of the business. For the purposes of this calculation, the business owner is excluded from the FTE calculation:

Number of FTEs New Tier –

30% decrease

 Revised Tier –

40% decrease
Sole traders

(Business owner – no additional employees)

 $3,750 $5,000
Micro businesses

(Business owner, plus 1 to 5 employees)

 $7,500 $10,000
Small businesses

(Business owner, plus 6-19 employees)

 $15,000 $20,000
Medium businesses

(Business owner, plus 20+ employees)

 $37,500 $50,000

 

To be eligible, businesses must meet the following criteria:

  • Verify their identity using MyGovID
  • Have a valid and active ABN for the period covered by their application
  • Be currently trading in WA
  • Have an Australia-wide payroll of less than $4 million
  • Have an annual turnover of more than $50,000 excluding GST
  • Be able to demonstrate a reduction in turnover for any consecutive two-week period between 1 January 2022 to 30 April 2022, compared to the equivalent period in 2021*:
    • For the 40 per cent tier, a reduction of at least 40 per cent
    • For the 30 per cent tier, a reduction of at least 30 per cent
  • Provide evidence of the number of the FTE or equivalent employees for their business
  • Provide an unredacted PDF copy of their business bank statement showing 2022 transactions, a BSB, and account number, and the business name associated with the application

*An alternative period in 2021 may be used in the business did not operate at the time or if it provides an inaccurate representation of the business’ financial situation.

 

This program will provide support to all eligible businesses that meet the criteria, including the hospitality, arts and events industries.

 

Applications opened on Thursday, 17 March 2022, and can be done through the Small Business Development Corporation website. A document containing the full Terms and Conditions, as well as some useful FAQs, is available for download on their website.

 

Applications must be received by 4:00pm on 30 June 2022 (AWST).

 

If you would like any assistance with applying for any of the above grant or if you would like to discuss your eligibility prior to applying, please contact our office on 08 9721 1055. Information on other grants announced by the WA Government can be found in our Archive page.

 

Click for past COVID-19 information.