More than 200 Tasmanian businesses receive financial support

Roger Jaensch,Minister for State Growth

The Tasmanian Liberal Government is supporting our small businesses as some in the sector continue to face challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

While our economy is strong and many businesses are doing well, we know that some are doing it harder.

To assist those facing challenges, the Government has made more funding available through our new COVID-19 Business Impact Support Program.

The program, which opened last Wednesday, is helping Tasmanian small businesses that have seen a reduction in business due to COVID-19 since 15 December 2021.

Funding of between $1,000 and $5,000 is available to eligible businesses. The downturn may be caused by a loss of staff due to COVID-19 exposure that has affected the business’s ability to operate, or loss of business, due to significantly lower than usual customer demand.

Support is also available to businesses that experienced an unavoidable loss of perishable goods.

I’m pleased to report that, so far, more than 200 businesses have been able to access more than $420,000 in assistance under our new COVID-19 Business Impact Support Program.

To be eligible, businesses must have had a COVID-19 Safety Plan and a completed risk assessment in place and, where required a COVID-19 Case and Outbreak Management Plan, and have been using the Check in Tas app.

Since the start of the pandemic, Tasmanian businesses have received more than $160 million in COVID-specific support programs and, as we have always said, the Tasmanian Liberal Government will consider further support if it is needed.

Applications for the COVID-19 Business Impact Support Program remain open until 9 February 2022.

/Public Release. View in full here.