Grants, Funding and Business Opportunities Available

Sound NSW is committed to supporting existing and new live music venues in NSW to achieve best practice in sound management. This grant is designed to support venues that experience sound complaints or are restricted from presenting live music due to insufficient sound mitigation measures. 

Funding will assist existing and new live music venues with sound mitigation infrastructure support to ensure viability and longevity in the live music sector.

Eligible venues can apply for up to $100,000 to invest in sound mitigation measures informed by their acoustic assessment report.

To view the eligibility and to apply, please visit the website at www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/venues-unlocked/soundproofing-live-music-venues.

Wage subsidies provide financial incentives to employers to hire and retain eligible participants in ongoing and sustainable positions.

Wage subsidies ranging up to $10,000 may be available to businesses that hire eligible individuals into ongoing jobs.

Businesses looking to fill an ongoing position, should get in touch with their nearest Workforce Australia, ParentsNext or Transition to Work provider for help to find the right person for the job.

Providers may offer a wage subsidy to help with some of the initial costs of hiring a new employee. The wage subsidy is to help with some of the initial costs of hiring the new employee, to help ensure the success of their employment

To view eligibility and to apply, please visit https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/wage-subsidies.

A payroll tax rebate is available for employers in NSW who employ apprentices and new entrant trainees. The rebate works as a payroll tax offset based on the wages you've paid to apprentices and new entrant trainees.

More information at https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/apprentices-and-trainees-payroll-tax-rebate-nsw.

This initiative provides rebates for frequent NSW toll road users to help them save on their vehicle registration. Eligible NSW motorists who spend more than $375 a year on tolls will receive a 40% rebate up to $750 a year.

To view eligibility and to apply, please visit https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/toll-relief-rebate-scheme-nsw.

The objective of the program is to help primary producers and primary production enterprises impacted by the February and March 2022 NSW Severe Weather and Flooding events to rebuild and recover in the medium to longer term with the aim of supporting job security, future resilience and enabling future production.

The Critical Producer Grant is one of four recovery programs under the $150 million Primary Industry Support Package which was announced in March 2022.

Please refer to the Critical Producer Grant Framework (PDF 14.16MB) and the addendum (PDF 62.81KB) for further details.

Applications close on 30 September 2023.

This program is administered by Department of Regional NSW.

This program provides co-funding for local government or charge point operators (CPOs) to install, own, operate and maintain kerbside EV charging infrastructure.

The EV kerbside charging grants aim to:

• support NSW’s goal of being the easiest place in Australia to own and drive an EV
• increase EV charging options for EV drivers with limited or no access to off-street parking
• cater for an increasing number of EV drivers and instil confidence in those considering the transition to an EV
• test different kerbside charging technologies and commercial models to develop a sustainable kerbside charging market
• provide information and support on planning approvals pathways for kerbside charging.

This program is administered by Office of Energy and Climate Change.

Applications close on 17 November 2023.

To find out more, please visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/electric-vehicle-kerbside-charging-grants.

Funding is available to help high-emitting manufacturing and mining facilities in NSW develop and deploy decarbonisation projects, from feasibility studies through to commissioning.

High-emitting industries funding will help NSW achieve significant and sustained industrial emissions reductions by 2030, in line with NSW’s target of net zero by 2050, through the following 3 objectives:

• Supporting decarbonisation in high emitting facilities – help NSW manufacturing and mining operations deliver value for money emissions reduction projects.

• Accelerating transformative decarbonisation projects – prioritise innovative and ambitious low emissions projects to fast track NSW’s progress to net zero.

• Helping industry thrive in a low carbon economy – build local skills, knowledge and jobs to ensure NSW industry prospers in a new low carbon economy.

To find out more, please visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/high-emitting-industries-grants. 

If you are a small business owner in NSW, this $1,000 rebate will help you purchase safety items to improve work health and safety for you and your workers. This program is administered by SafeWork NSW.

Small business owners and sole traders who have an ABN and less than 50 full time employees. Charities and not-for-profits can also apply. 

To find out more, please visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/1000-safework-small-business-rebate.

For medium to large industries and manufacturers

Sydney Water are offering grants to non-residential business customers with high water use. If you're committed to conserving water, you could be eligible for a Water Efficiency Grant to help find ways to reduce water usage on your site. Sydney Water will provide additional funding for you to implement approved recommendations. 

A Water Efficiency Grant can provide an economical way for your business to reach its environmental sustainability targets.

To find out more, please visit https://www.sydneywater.com.au/your-business/helping-your-business-save-water/water-efficiency-grants.html.

From 31 July 2023, about 320,000 small businesses in NSW will receive energy bill relief payments totalling $650.

Are you eligible?
You need to be the electricity account holder, be on a business tariff and consume less than 100 megawatt hours (MWh) per year.

How to claim?
If you’re an on-market customer (with an energy retailer), you don’t need to do anything. Your retailer will apply the payment automatically in $162.50 quarterly instalments on your bill. If you haven’t received the payment, contact your retailer.

What if you’re in an embedded (on-supply) network such as a shopping centre?
You’ll be advised from October 2023 onwards how to apply.

To find out more, please visit https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/rebates-grants-and-schemes/national-energy-bill-relief.

The traineeships provide NSW businesses with access to fee-free traineeships when they employ a new trainee. Save up to $1,000 per trainee.

More at https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/feefree-traineeships-nsw.

Developed by Beyond Blue to give small business owners support during challenging times. Coaches work side by side with business owners to overcome difficult issues and provide practical skills to help them manage stress.

See https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/newaccess-for-small-business-owners.

Loans are available for Indigenous owned small businesses to help them start, grow or restructure.

More information at https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/business-loan-package.

The NSW Government’s $20 million electric vehicle (EV) destination charging grants cover up to 75% of the cost to purchase and install EV chargers at your visitor attraction or accommodation.   

This grant is a key initiative within the NSW Government's plan to make NSW the easiest place to buy and use an EV in Australia.

Applications close at 5pm, Friday 3 May 2024.

To find out more about the grant program and to apply, please visit www.energy.nsw.gov.au/business-and-industry/programs-grants-and-schemes/electric-vehicles/electric-vehicle-destination.

The Live Performance Venue Program will help existing venues build their knowledge and skills so they can make informed decisions – developing a vision for staging live performance, aligning this vision with your existing business model, and purchasing equipment and sound management for the creation of a fit-for-purpose performance space.

The first stage in the two-phase Program is the Live Performance Venue Accelerator, a six-week series of workshops covering the above topics and more. Applications are now open (until 13 December), with the workshops starting in February 2024.

Join an online information session to find out more about the Accelerator by visiting the website.

To find out more about the Live Performance Venue Accelerator, please visit www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/venues-unlocked/live-performance-venue-program/live-performance-venue-accelerator.

The program supports innovative small and medium enterprises undertaking commercialisation and/or growth projects within the National Reconstruction Fund priority areas through advisory services and opportunities for matched grant funding. Minor changes or improvements to existing products or services are not considered innovative.

You will be connected to an Industry Growth Program Adviser who will provide tailored advice to support your commercialisation and/or growth project.

Once you have received this advice, you may also be able to apply for:

• grants of $50,000 to $250,000 to support early-stage commercialisation projects
• grants of $100,000 to $5 million for commercialisation and growth projects.

Industry Growth Program Grants will open in 2024.

To find out more, please visit the website at business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/industry-growth-program.

The Driving Digital Skills Pilot Program consists of two pilots that will deliver a holistic approach to the adoption of advanced technologies.

The first will target existing workers to help them build on their current digital skills, with the second engaging new workers and upskilling mid-career workers with no existing digital skills.

The first 12-week program will be delivered by industry experts via a series of online workshops and industry and research collaboration events. Workers will develop skills in industry 4.0, project life cycle management processes, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), coaching and mentoring. 

To find out more, please visit https://www.investment.nsw.gov.au/priority-sectors/advanced-manufacturing/driving-digital-skills-pilot-program/.

As we gain momentum during the construction and development phases of building Western Sydney International Airport, they are on the look-out for commercial partners, contractors and a new workforce to help bring the vision for Sydney's new airport to life.

To find out more, please visit https://westernsydney.com.au/opportunities.

Applications are now open. Eligible NSW STEM businesses can apply for student internships through the Generation STEM Links program.

Why Generation STEM Links is good for your business

Recruiting and training an intern takes time – here's how Generation STEM Links can help.

• We work with educational institutions across NSW to attract quality students to available opportunities and help you to find the right candidate.
• You'll meet top-performing students and those who demonstrate a high potential for success with a keen interest in STEM.
• Industry partners will receive $2,500 per student from Generation STEM Links after completion of the internship to cover their time and expenses.
• We manage the recruitment process from start to finish, including screening of applications/candidates (saving you time).
• You'll have the opportunity to connect with local STEM education providers and play a role in raising the calibre of upcoming talent for your industry.
• Best of all, the student will also be able to support your business on short-term projects and potentially become your future star employee.

The program is flexible and can align with your corporate social responsibility, work experience, graduate and training programs, and sustainability objectives. Industry partners are required to pay the student intern a minimum of $25/hour.

For more information, please visit https://www.csiro.au/en/education/Programs/Generation-STEM/Links-program/Industry-partner-information.

Large businesses can save water and money

Wasting water is costly for office towers, shopping centres, supermarkets, hotels and motels, aged care facilities, clubs and large venues. With WaterFix Commercial, you can cut that waste and achieve large-scale, cost-efficient savings. Contact Sydney Water for a free desktop assessment.

To find out more, please visit https://www.sydneywater.com.au/your-business/helping-your-business-save-water/waterfix-commercial.html.

If a leak stays hidden, you'll never know the cost

Leaks and inefficient processes could be costing your medium to large business thousands of dollars each year and wasting tens of thousands of litres of water. By providing real-time data logging, Sydney Water's online water monitoring program can help you detect unusual water usage, which may be caused by a hidden leak.

To find out more, please visit https://www.sydneywater.com.au/your-business/helping-your-business-save-water/online-monitoring-larger-businesses.html.

The Going Global Export Program provides NSW small to medium enterprises with various support measures to help them attain new business in targeted global markets.

This program supports businesses in the following industries/sectors:

• food (agri-food, food and beverage, processed food)
• health and medtech
• technology
• cyber security
• fintech
• edtech
• space.

The program offers:

• export coaching, tailored workshops and business matching
• assistance from Investment NSW including a dedicated Export Adviser, the NSW Trade and Investment Commissioner in your target market and industry experts
• a 4 to 6 month intensive engagement program
• an understanding of export market dynamics
• practical approaches for doing business internationally
• opportunities for international networking and promotion
• introductions to potential international customers
• training in digital offshore marketing and e-commerce
• peer interaction with the businesses in your cohort.

To find out more, please visit https://www.investment.nsw.gov.au/export/nsw-going-global-export-program/.

Budding entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to take the first step in developing a start-up, with applications now open for four pre-accelerators. Programs are designed to support founders from diverse backgrounds and social impact driven startups.

The programs will support under-represented groups entering the innovation ecosystem, including women and people with diverse backgrounds. Programs will be delivered by Startmate, I2N (University of Newcastle), iAccelerate (University of Wollongong) and UNSW Founders (University of NSW).

60 participants will take part in the pre-accelerators, running across Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Participants will be early in their entrepreneurship journey, where they have a startup concept formed however are unsure how to translate their idea into a business. The pre-accelerators syllabus will include modules around fundamental business and entrepreneurial mindset, supporting the participant in developing and validating their idea. Formal education will be complemented with bespoke coaching and mentoring. Participants will have the opportunity to learn, whilst forming networks that may support them in their future endeavours.

To find out more, please visit https://www.investment.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-rebates/pre-accelerator-program.

The Small Business Export Loan provides small to medium export businesses with loans to cover up to 80% of the costs to secure an export contract or purchase order with an overseas buyer.

Funding is available for:

• contracts and purchase orders
• export market development
• general working capital
• equipment finance
• tourism services
• online business growth.

Loans of between $20,000 and $350,000 are available, to cover up to 80% of your export contract(s) or purchase order(s).

For more information, please visit www.exportfinance.gov.au//how-we-can-help/our-solutions/small-business-export-loan/.

Small businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million will be allowed an additional 20% tax deduction for external training courses delivered to employees by registered training providers.

The boost applies to eligible expenditure incurred from 7:30 pm AEDT on 29 March 2022 until 30 June 2024.

For more information, please visit www.ato.gov.au/Business/Income-and-deductions-for-business/Deductions/Small-business-skills-and-training-boost/.

The Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) provides NSW businesses with financial incentives to invest in projects which will reduce their energy consumption. Incentives are available to install new equipment or modify a current system.

Different equipment and processes are eligible, including but not limited to:

• lighting
• heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
• motors, fans and pumps
• compressed air systems
• refrigeration
• power systems
• hot water and steam systems
• furnaces
• switching to new fuels such as biofuels, biogas and other renewable sources like solar irrigation.

For more information, please visit www.energy.nsw.gov.au/business-and-industry/programs-grants-and-schemes/business-equipment.

Small to medium businesses can apply for loans from $350,000 to help them secure the finance required to meet specific export contracts or purchase orders when traditional lenders are unable to help.

To be eligible, you must:

• have an annual turnover of over $250,000
• be unable to get financing from your bank
• have been established for at least 2 years
• be an Australian registered company with an Australian company number (ACN).

For more information, please visit business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/export-finance-australia-loans.

Employers can register their non-compulsory uniform and accessories, which allows their employees to obtain tax deductions for the cost of renting, buying or maintaining their clothing. Employers are eligible for fringe benefit tax (FBT) concessions on any contribution they make towards their employees’ uniforms.

For more information, please visit business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/textile-clothing-and-footwear-corporatewear-register.