2021 COVID-19 Business Grant of up to $15,000

The COVID-19 Business Grant provides up to $15,000 to eligible businesses (including not-for-profits and sole traders) with annual wages of up to $10 million.

The value of the grant is determined by the impact of the lockdown on your turnover. Your business will need to prove a decline in turnover across a minimum 2 week period from 26 June 2021 to 17 July 2021 (or 27 May 2021 to 17 July 2021 for businesses on the NSW border with Victoria).

Eligibility

The 2021 COVID-19 business grant is available if you:

• Have an active ABN; and
• Can demonstrate that your business was operating in NSW as at 1 June 2021; and
• Had total annual Australian wages of $10m or less as at 1 July 2020; and
• Had an aggregated annual turnover between $75,000 and $50m (inclusive) for the year ended 30 June 2020 (for businesses that were not in operation for the full year or where conditions were not usual in 2019-20, see For new business and businesses where 2019-20 was not a normal year below); and
• Have unavoidable business costs from 1 June 2021 for which there is no other government support available; and
• Maintain employee headcount as at 13 July 2021 – the number of people you employed in NSW including full time, part time and long-term casuals that have been employed by the business for more than 12 months; and
• Have experienced a decline in turnover of 30% or more over a minimum 2-week period from 26 June 2021 to 17 July 2021 (27 May 2021 to 17 July 2021 for businesses on the NSW border with Victoria) compared to:
• The same period in 2019;
• The same period in 2020; or
• The 2-week period immediately before the start of the relevant lockdown test period.

Some businesses are ineligible for the grant. These include businesses predominantly earning passive income (rent, interest, or dividends), businesses owned by sovereign entities (foreign Governments), businesses in liquidation or bankruptcy proceedings, businesses that did not have an ABN as at 1 June, government agencies, local governments, banks, and universities.

For new business and businesses where 2019-20 was not a normal year

For businesses that were in operation on 1 June 2021 but:

• Were a new business that did not operate for a full year; or
• Were impacted by acquisition, disposal or restructure

you can use a 3 month period that is representative of your normal operating environment to prove your turnover. Generally, a business activity statement or income tax return will be required as evidence of turnover, or if these are not available, a letter from your accountant or bank statements can be used.

For businesses where 2019-20 was not a normal year, for example your business was impacted by the bushfires or for sole traders or small partnerships impacted by illness, you can use 2018 as your comparison period.

These alternatives apply to the 2021 COVID-19 Business Grant, JobSaver and Micro-business grant.

How to apply

Applications are made online through Service NSW and close at 11:59pm on 13 September 2021.

To apply for the grant, you will need a series of documents to evidence your application:

• An Australian Income Tax Return (or Notice of Assessment) or other documentation demonstrating your business had, or would have had, an aggregated annual turnover
• If your business is not on the highly impacted list of industries, you must supply a letter from your accountant evidencing your businesses decline in turnover
• Details of your accountant, tax agent, BAS agent
• For businesses operating outside of NSW but claiming they were operating in NSW as at 1 June:
• Commercial rates notices or lease agreements
• In the absence of rates or lease agreements – utility bills, insurance documents, supply invoices, registration papers, contractor licenses etc

Eligible expenses such as invoices may also be required if an audit is undertaken.