The COVID-19 Micro Business Grant: ‘Introduction’ on Service NSW website – this original copy from April 2021!!

July 19, 2024

For the record, Micro-Business Grant applicants may remember this early grant offer by the Berejiklian Liberal NSW Government back in 2021 via its Service NSW website. Above is even that original promotional image of a small business person.

[We keep records]

This is an original copy of the introduction dated 30 April 2021, which we reproduce for anyone to download, print off and use. This is because the current Minns NSW Labor Government has since removed it from the Internet. Enjoy!

[Our Note: on this, our copy attached, readers will see our hand written records in the ‘Eligibility’ section. We had nothing to hide and wanted to be sure we first passed the eligibility criteria just like thousands of small businesses did same].

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We also reproduce the same document for readers of this website as follows:

Apply for the 2021 COVID-19 micro-business grant

Introduction

If you’re a micro-business (small business, sole trader or not-for-profit organisation with aggregated annual turnover between $30,000 and $75,000) impacted by the recent COVID-19 restrictions, you may be eligible to apply for a fortnightly payment of $1,500.

The 2021 COVID-19 micro-business grant provides cash flow support for micro-businesses in New South ‘Vales who have had their work impacted by the restrictions while continuing to incur business costs.

Eligible businesses will need to nominate the 2-week period in which they first experienced the required decline in turnover, on or after the commencement of the micro-business grant on 26 June. Once approved, payments will begin from that nominated fortnight. Payments will be made in arrears.

Note: Following the extension of the 2021 COVID-19 micro-business grant, you’ll need to reconfirm your eligibility each fortnight to continue receiving your payments. This means you’ll need to confirm that you experienced a turnover decline of 30% or more in the past fortnight due to the impact of the public health order, and that you are maintaining your employee headcount. You must notify Service NSW if your headcount has declined over the payment period.

Eligible applicants can use the grant for business costs incurred due to the impacts of the public health order in NSW and for which no other government support is available, including:

salaries and wages
utilities and rent
financial, legal or other advice
marketing and communications
perishable goods
other business costs.

A qualified accountant, registered tax agent or registered BAS agent may apply for the grant’ on behalf of your business.

Your accountant will need to provide a letter of authority: from you to show that they are authorised to act on behalf of your business if they are not listed as an associate on the Australian Business Register.

Applications will close after 11:59 pm on 18 October 2021.

Use our guide to compare the 2021 COVID-19 support grants and work out which one suits your situation.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the grant, you must:

have an active Australian Business Number (ABN) registered in, or demonstrate your business was primarily operating in, NSW as at 1 June 2021
have had an aggregated annual turnover between $30,000 and $75,000 for the year ended 30 June 2020
have experienced a decline in turnover of 30% or more due to the public health order over a minimum 2-week period within the period of restrictions (commenced 26 June 2021), compared to:
- the same period in 2019, or
- the same period in 2020, or
- the 2 weeks immediately prior to any restrictions of 12 June to 25 June 2021 (inclusive).
have business costs for which no other government support is available
have not applied for either the 2021 COVID-19 business grant or the JobSaver payment *(SEE AUTHOR’S NOTE BELOW]
for employing businesses, maintain your employee headcount from 13 July 2021, if you receive payments from the commencement of the micro-business grant, or from the day immediately prior to the fortnight you first experienced the required decline in turnover, for the period you are receiving grant payments; businesses that do not maintain their headcount agree to notify Service NSW
• have this business as your primary income source (50% or more of total income), if you’re a non- employing business such as a sole trader.

Businesses that received the $1,500 small business fees and charges rebate can apply for this grant.

[*AUTHOR’S NOTE: No mention is made in the Service NSW Guidelines nor Terms and Conditions about the federal government’s ‘JobKeeper’ compensation payments at the time to business impacted by the pandemic lockdowns to continue to pay their employees. This means that recipient business owners could choose to include or exclude the JobKeeper payments as “Aggregated Annual Revenue” in order to meet the eligibility criteria for this grant (i.e. between the arbitrary $30,000 and $75,000).]

Alternative circumstances

If your micro-business does not meet all the eligibility criteria, you may still be able to apply for the grant. See the alternative circumstances outlined in the guidelines.

Ineligible businesses

If a business or not-for-profit organisation is not eligible for this grant, but is suffering financial hardship, they may be eligible to apply through the hardship review pathway.

Certain entities, including those primarily earning passive income (such as rents, interest or dividends) that is more than 50% of the business’ income, government agencies, local governments. banks and universities are not eligible for the micro-business grant.

If passive income is more than 50% but the business is actively providing services that relate to the passive income. call us on 13 77 88.

The full list of ineligible businesses is at Attachment A of the guidelines.

Non-employing businesses are not eligible to apply for this grant if anyone associated with the business and deriving income from it has received the Commonwealth COVID-19 Disaster Payment for the same period.

What you need

a MyServiceNSW Account
your proof of identity
your valid ABN/ACN number
your business banking details for payment
a business activity statement (BAS)
Australian income tax return.

Evidence to support eligibility

If your business is on the highly impacted industries list, you’ll be required to:

declare your business meets the eligibility criteria
submit evidence your business had an aggregated annual turnover of more than $30,000 and less than $75,000 for the year ended 30 June 2020
lodge other supporting documents , as required, to demonstrate that your business meets the eligibility criteria.

If your business is not on the highly impacted industries list. in addition to the above. you’ll also be required to:

submit evidence your business:
has experienced a decline in turnover of 30% or more due to the public health order in the specified period, and
had an aggregated annual turnover of more than $30,000 and less than $75,000 for the year ended 30 June 2020.

See the guidelines for more information.

Auditing requirements

Successful applications may be subject to an audit. Service NSW can request a combination of the following documents to support its determination of eligibility and use of funds under this grant’s Terms and Conditions:

accountant ‘s letter
prior business activity statements
Australian tax returns
profit and loss statements prepared by a qualified accountant
receipts and invoices from sales
business bank account statements .

You’ll need to keep all documentary evidence used for your application for a minimum of 5 years.

Proof of identity

Two proof of identity documents are required. They may include:

Australian driver licence
Medicare card
Australian passport
Australian birth certificate
Australian travel visa
Australian citizenship certificate
Australian certificate of registration by descent
Australian lmmiCard.

How to apply

Check you meet the eligibility criteria.
Have your documentation and evidence ready for uploading.
Select the ‘Apply online’ button.
Note: You cannot save and resume your application once you’ve started.
Log in, or create your MyServiceNSW Account.
Select and verify your identity documents.
When your identity is verified, select ‘Continue’.
Confirm your personal details.
Enter your business details and answer the eligibility questions, then select ‘Next’.
Provide information about your decline in turnover and upload your supporting documents, then select ‘Next’
Enter your bank details, then select ‘Next’
Review your application
Check the declaration boxes
Select ‘Submit’ to complete your application.

When you submit your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your application reference number. If you do not receive this email within 5 minutes after completing your application, please check your junk mail folder, and then call 13 77 88 if you’re still unable to locate the email.

After your application is received, it will be reviewed by Service NSW. We’ll contact you if we need additional information to support your application. If your application is approved, we’ll transfer funds to your specified bank account within 5 to .7 business days from the approval date.

If you’re not able to complete your application online, please call us on 13 77 88.

Common questions

If you have questions about the application process, eligibility, required evidence or alternative circumstances, see our answers to the most commonly asked questions about the 2021 COVID-19 Micro Business Grant.

More information

Only one application can be submitted for a single ABN.
Only one application is permitted where there are multiple businesses under a single ABN.
The 2021 COVID-19 micro-business grant cannot be used to cover expenses for which other government support is available, such as government fees and charges that would be covered by the small business fees and charges rebate.
• Employees can receive Commonwealth COVID-19 Disaster Payments if their employer is receiving this grant.