Small Business Exceptional Assistance Grant Program

Small business disaster assistance

The Small Business Support Program has been announced to help businesses affected by:

  • Tropical Cyclone Jasper and associated flooding from 13 to 28 December 2023
  • South East Queensland storms and subsequent flooding from 24 December 2023 to 3 January 2024.

The program includes:

  • Small Business Exceptional Assistance Grants of up to $20,000 (see below)
  • Small Business Support Network (free small business financial counselling, small business wellness coaching, or rural financial counselling assistance)
  • Business Resilience Partnership Program (for local councils, Chambers of Commerce and key stakeholders).
Program key details
Eligible business size Small businesses

Status

Open

Opening date

9am, 31 July 2024

Closing date

5pm, 31 October 2024

Grant type

Competitive – not all applications will be funded

Key documents

About the program

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:

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).

Available funding

You may be eligible to receive a single up-front grant payment of up to $20,000 (excluding GST).

Eligible expenses

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.

Check your eligibility

Use the eligibility checker before you apply. You can also review the application guidelines for further information.

Application process

Applications are required to be submitted through the SmartyGrants portal.

To apply, you must provide all necessary supporting information and evidence, including:

  • 100-point identification check form
  • bank statements for the relevant non-trading (closure) or decline in income period
  • bank statements highlighting payments (eligible expenses) for which you are seeking grant funding
  • photographs, or other substantiating documentation, to support that your business was impacted by the disaster event
  • other evidence that your business operation was closed for trading for the number of continuous days being claimed, or the 70% reduction in revenue, for a minimum of 14 continuous trading days.

You must provide documentation of eligible expenses incurred, up to the amount applied for, since the disaster, at the time of application. In exceptional cases (for example, where a business has remained closed for extended periods), DESBT will consider applications where expenses have not yet been fully incurred.

You must demonstrate how the grant-funded activity:

  • meets a genuine financial need
  • aligns with the program's objectives, such as re-establishing business operations, maintaining employment, and covering extraordinary costs related to recovery
  • contributes to community stability and resilience
  • demonstrates value for money.

DESBT may equitably distribute successful applications across disaster-affected regions, industry sectors (including priority sectors), and priority areas to represent Queensland's diverse business and economic landscapes.

Apply now

Lodging an application does not guarantee funding will be approved. We will assess applications and make decisions as soon as possible (usually within 2–3 weeks of submission).

Successful applicants

Successful grant applicants must enter into a funding agreement with DESBT to receive funding of up to $20,000 (excluding GST). Funding is paid on acceptance of the funding agreement.

The funding agreement consists of:

  • the letter of agreement
  • any other terms agreed in writing between the parties
  • the terms and conditions
  • the application guidelines
  • the submitted application.

Successful applicants must advise DESBT of any proposed variations to their funding agreement.

Successful applicants must provide an acquittal of the funds received, including evidence of all expenditures. The acquittal report requires details of the grant implementation and impact on your business, including the results and outcomes received.

In conjunction with the acquittal process, DESBT may also audit grants under this program.

More information

For more information about the program, read the key documents and information:

View our small business grants schedule or to learn what other support you may be eligible for.

You can also subscribe to the Business Queensland Connect newsletter to keep up to date with the latest information for Queensland small businesses.

Contact us

For further information about the program email disastergrants@desbt.qld.gov.au or contact the Small Business Hotline on 1300 654 687.

Check your eligibility

  • Tropical Cyclone Jasper and associated flooding (13 December 2023 to 28 December 2023)
  • South East Queensland storms and subsequent flooding (24 December 2023 to 3 January 2024)?


  • Last reviewed: 31 Jul 2024
  • Last updated: 7 Aug 2024