This grant provides financial support to small businesses, in defined disaster areas that experienced significant disruptions and losses during the peak Christmas and New Year trading period, to re-establish operations and maintain employment.

You may be eligible for this grant if your business has been affected by:

• Tropical Cyclone Jasper and associated flooding from 13 to 28 December 2023 – view the activation summary (PDF, 2.3MB)
• South East Queensland storms and subsequent flooding from 24 December 2023 to 3 January 2024 – view the activation summary (PDF, 1.4MB).

The program is administered by the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT). It is jointly supported by the Australian and Queensland governments under the Commonwealth State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

You may be eligible to receive a single up-front grant payment of up to $20,000 (excluding GST). The program has received a total of $5 million in funding.

You may use grant funds for extraordinary costs related to re-establishing business operations and sustaining employment.

Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to:

• paying salaries and wages to employees
• covering rent or rates associated with the business premises
• purchasing goods, equipment and supplies necessary for your business to resume operations
• professional services related to disaster recovery
• marketing expenses aimed at regaining lost customers and re-establishing the business post-disaster.

DESBT will not fund expenses already supported through other disaster grants or loans, such as the Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants, the Disaster Assistance Loan, or the Tourism Exceptional Assistance Grant; or damages or losses funded through insurance claims.

To be eligible for this grant, your business must:

• have less than 20 employees (by headcount)
• have an active Australian Business Number (ABN) and be registered for GST
• be located in one of the defined disaster areas for
  • Tropical Cyclone Jasper (and associated flooding)
  • South East Queensland storms (and subsequent flooding)
• demonstrate that, for a consecutive period of at least 14 days directly due to the impact of the specified disaster event, the business:
  • was completely unable to conduct trading activities
  • or
  • experienced a decrease in revenue of at least 70% compared to the same 14-day period in the previous year
• have been operational immediately prior to being affected by the disaster event
• demonstrate an intent to continue or continued in business after the disaster event
• not be insolvent or have owners/directors that are undischarged bankrupt.

• Email: disastergrants@desbt.qld.gov.au