Business Boost Grants Program

Refer to the grant guidelines for examples of eligible project activities.

We will not fund:

• a total cost of less than $20,000 (excluding GST)
• or
• payments made before the approval date (you must be approved before you pay for grant-funded project activities).

Activities not funded:

• good and services paid using crypto-currencies, cash, barter, or services in-kind
• goods and services bought via direct selling (e.g. by party plan or network marketing)
• computer hardware/gadgets (e.g. computer servers, PCs, tablets/iPads, mobile phones, point of sales systems, headphones)
• delivery fees, credit card surcharges and international transaction fees
• fleet vehicles
• franchise fees
• general business operating costs (e.g. bookkeeping/accounting, tax returns)
• goods, services, or fees from related parties*
• GST, registration, and fees
• maintenance of existing digital technologies
• marketing/advertising services of any kind
• memberships, subscriptions and joining fees
• non-specialised software and licences (e.g. Microsoft 365, Google Workspace)
• outsourcing of recruitment services to employ staff
• purchase of stock
• real estate/property, hire, lease, or rental fees
• salaries and wages
• search engine optimisation (SEO)
• travel and accommodation
• website hosting
• utilities (e.g. internet, phone, water and/or waste bills).

*We will not fund goods, services, or fees from related parties. Related parties include companies with common shareholdings or directors, as well as employees or immediate family members.

In your ROI application, you are asked to:

• confirm the business meets the eligibility criteria of the grant program
• provide core business and contact information
• provide Responsible Person demographic information.

Valid ROIs will be assessed through a ballot process with selected applicants invited to submit a full application as part of Stage 2. All eligible ROIs have an equal chance to advance to Stage 2.

Businesses that have not been selected for Stage 2 will be notified. For Stage 1 outcomes, all DESBT's decisions are final and not subject to review.

Selected applicants from Stage 1 will be invited to submit a full application via the DESBT SmartyGrants portal.

In addition to the information provided in your successful ROI, in the full application you will be asked to:

• update core business and contact information
• provide descriptions of your business's growth journey, your project, the expected outcomes of your project, including expected efficiency/productivity improvements
• confirm the business's financial contribution
• verify the main business location (if applicable) – if your Australian Business Register profile shows that your main business location is not in Queensland you will need to provide evidence of Queensland headquarters
• verify the link between the trust and the business conducting the business activity (if applicable) – if you nominate an ABN of a trust in your application, you will need to provide evidence of the link between the trust entity and the business conducting the business activity entity
• provide a completed 100-points of identification check form for the nominated Responsible Person:
  • witnessed by a Queensland Justice of the Peace or Commissioner of Declarations
  • Note: You do not need to provide your identity documents to DESBT. Only return the witnessed 100-points check form to us (we will provide the form if you are selected for Stage 2).
• provide independent Australian supplier quote(s) (no more than 2).

Refer to the application guidelines for comprehensive details on what is required at stage 2.

Stage 2: Full applications are assessed for compliance against the eligibility criteria within these guidelines and their competitiveness against the assessment criteria.

You must demonstrate the extent to which the grant funded activity will:

• increase turnover, profit, and employment
• increase business confidence and skills
• enhance your business's efficiency and productivity
• improve business resilience and survivability
• demonstrate value for money.

If you have sufficiently passed assessment, you will be asked to provide an accountant's letter verifying the turnover, gross profit and headcount for your business in 2023–24.

Accountant letter

Provide a letter from a registered accountant confirming your business's 2023–24 turnover, gross profit and employee headcount. This letter serves as evidence of the financial and operational details of your business.

The accountant must not be a current employee of the business and must be registered with 1 of the following:

• Tax Practitioners Board
• Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA Australia)
• Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)
• Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).

The letter must be on a company letterhead, dated and contain the:

• accountant's business name and ABN
• accountant's full name
• qualification held (post-nominals)
• registration number and expiry.

We will advise all applicants of the outcomes following each stage of the application process. We will endeavour to do this as promptly as possible, considering the volume of applications received.

Due to the grant program's comprehensive assessment, due diligence, and government approval process, applicants can typically expect to receive notification of their submission's outcome within a reasonable timeframe following the key application dates outlined on page 5 of the guidelines.

We will communicate all outcomes via email. Successful applicants from the final stage of assessment will receive a Funding Agreement Letter detailing the proposed funding agreement and inviting you to accept the funding terms.

Grant recipients enter into a funding agreement with DESBT to receive funding between $10,000 and $20,000 (excluding GST). Funding is paid in 2 instalments:

1. Milestone 1: On completion and assessment of your 3-month report – 50%;
2. Milestone 2: On acquittal and assessment at project completion at 12 months – 50%;

The funding agreement consists of:

1. The Letter of Agreement
2. Any other terms agreed in writing between the parties
3. The Business Boost Grants Program terms and conditions
4. The Business Boost Grants Program guidelines
5. The application submitted by the applicant relating to the grant funded activity.

Recipients must complete their grant-funded activity within 12 months from the date of receiving their Funding Agreement Letter.

When you complete your project, you can apply to acquit your grant. DESBT will acquit the grant starting at 6 months (acquittal spaces will be issued in batches).

You must keep all application and eligibility evidence, supplier quotes, corresponding invoices, receipts and bank transactions for audit and acquittal purposes.

Note: If you vary your approved project in any way, you must inform DESBT immediately. Read more about making changes to your approved grant.

Grant recipients must complete a:

• 3-month progress report - the report must include details of the progress you have made with your project, any issues you've experienced and answer some questions about the process so far. This report is mandatory to receive the Milestone 1 payment.
• final acquittal report on completion of the project – the report must include details of the deliverables received, project implementation and impact on the business including the results and outcomes received. This report is mandatory to receive the Milestone 2 payment. An acquittal can be completed at a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 12 months.

View the successful applicants for Business Boost Round 1.

Read these key documents and information:

• application guidelines
• terms and conditions
• frequently asked questions
• preview of application form.

View the successful applicants for Business Boost Round 2.

Read these key documents and information:

• application guidelines
• terms and conditions
• frequently asked questions
• preview of Registration of interest (ROI) application form.

View the successful applicants for Business Boost Round 3.

Read these key documents and information:

• application guidelines
• terms and conditions
• frequently asked questions
• sample preview of Registration of interest form