Sarah Courtney,Minister for Small Business, Hospitality and Events
The safety and security of Tasmanians is our number one priority as we face the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Tasmanian Government recognises the significant impact the unfolding COVID-19 situation and the associated trading restrictions are placing on Tasmanian small businesses.
To ensure we continue to be responsive to the current gaps and needs of Tasmanian small businesses, further support is being made available for Tasmanian businesses through the extension of the Small Business Emergency Grants, and the introduction of the Small Business Hardship Grants.
Round 2 of the Emergency Grants are now open, with grants of $2,500 available to those businesses under severe hardship and who have not yet received funding under the first round.
For the purpose of this Round, the definition of small business has been lifted to having less than 25 FTE employees, and the eligibility is no longer limited to targeted areas but is available to any business experiencing severe hardship that meets the criteria of a loss in revenue of greater than 30 per cent.
In addition, we will be opening the Small Business Hardship Grant, where $20 million has been allocated to provide one-off grants of $15,000 to those businesses who have been highly impacted by the COVID 19 restrictions and experiencing significant hardship.
To be eligible for the Hardship Grant, businesses must demonstrate severe hardship, show they are able to operate in the current environment and provide necessary products and services to the community, or are in strong positions to continue to support local jobs and economic growth into the recovery phase.
Applications for the grants will be individually assessed on a case-by-case basis, with payments to be made to approved applications as quickly as possible.
All applicants are recommended to register for the Australian Government’s JobKeeper payment.
