The Program is offering assistance with the costs of clean-up and reinstatement of small businesses that have suffered direct damage as a result of the severe weather event which commenced on 26 August 2024.

Grants are provided to help pay for the costs of lost perishable goods due to sustained power outages, and clean-up and reinstatement activities to allow the small business to resume trading as quickly as possible. Costs must be directly related to damage caused by the event, and exceed the costs that would ordinarily have been incurred had the event not taken place.

A total of $7 million in funding is available, with Tier One grants of $2,500 and Tier Two grants of up to $22,500 available. The program is administered by the Department of State Growth.

Tier One: An initial one-off amount of $2,500 is available. To support an initial claim, applicants are required to: 

• describe and provide evidence of direct damage from the event on their business; and 
• demonstrate with evidence that they were actively trading immediately prior to 26 August 2024. 

Tier Two: A subsequent one-off amount of up to $22,500 is available.

• To support a subsequent claim, applicants are required to provide evidence of payments made directly relating to eligible recovery activities. The evidence provided must also cover the amount claimed under the Tier One application if not already provided.

Eligible applicants must:

• be a sole operator or a small business employing 19 or less full-time equivalent employees (FTEs);
• hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of the event; Applicants who operate more than one business under a single ABN may submit multiple applications, however the applications must apply to different businesses and cannot include the same claims.
• have been engaged in carrying on the small business when affected by the event;
• have suffered direct damage to premises and/or tools of trade (e.g. equipment, plant) and/or stock as a direct result of the event;
• provide satisfactory evidence of the loss or damage being claimed; and f. be primarily responsible for meeting the costs claimed in the application.

Ineligible applicants:

• Businesses with 20 or more full time employees (FTEs). 
• Businesses that were not open for business immediately prior to 26 August 2024.
• Not-for-profit organisations, incorporated associations, or charities unless the organisation is operating as a business employing paid staff and/or selling goods and services that make up more than 30 per cent of their income.
• Any public company under the meaning as defined in the Corporations Act 2001.
• Any business that is trading insolvent, under external administration or bankruptcy.
• Investment entities including unit trusts that solely generate passive turnover from residential and commercial property investment rentals.
• Any government body, government agency or government business enterprise.
• Any business that submits an application without the required supporting evidence.
• Applicants are not eligible to apply for a Small Business Emergency Response Grant as well as a Primary Producer Emergency Response Grant and/or a Non-Profit Organisation Emergency Response Grant.

• Phone: 1800 440 026
• Email: ask@business.tas.gov.au