With the latest COVID-19 health advice to stay home, we strongly advise you to use our website or call 13 77 88, rather than visit a service centre. Visit our COVID-19 page for information and advice on the assistance available for NSW residents and businesses.

Stay home: use online transactions or call 13 77 88. 
COVID-19 assistance

Grants and loans

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Government assistance

Bushfire legal aid scheme

Small business owners and farmers who are managing legal issues related to the 2019–20 bushfire events may be eligible for funding to assist with costs under the Australian Government’s Bushfire legal aid scheme.

Applications can be made through your private lawyer. For more information, visit Legal Aid NSW.

For free legal assistance for bushfire-related legal issues, visit Justice Connect.

Export assistance grant

An export assistance grant of up to $10,000 is available to eligible NSW businesses impacted by COVID-19, bushfires or drought, to help your business access new global markets or re-enter old ones. 

Eligible exporting businesses can apply for 50% reimbursement of certain export-enabling expenses, such as marketing and e-commerce, for expenses already paid since 1 January 2020.  

For eligibility criteria and to apply, visit Apply for an export assistance grant.

Childcare grant

Grants are available for child-care services located in bushfire-affected areas. The amount of funding provided will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

For more information, visit the Department of Education.

Peer support activities grant

Primary Health Networks (PNH) in bushfire-affected regions are providing grants of up to $10,000 to strengthen social connectedness and peer support activities. Please contact your local PHN to discuss a bushfire recovery event.

Small business support grant

Applications have closed for the NSW small business bushfire support grant of $10,000 and are now being processed.

If you have questions about this grant, please call us on 13 77 88.

Small business and not-for-profit organisations grant

Applications have closed for the NSW bushfire recovery grant for directly-impacted small businesses of up to $50,000 and are now being processed.

If you have questions about this grant, please call us on 13 77 88.

Community assistance

Community events grant

One-off grants of $10,000 (excl. GST) are available through Destination NSW’s 2020 Micro Event Fund. The grants are for community-based events in regional NSW areas impacted by bushfire activity or drought conditions.

To be eligible, events must have a total expenditure budget of approximately $75,000 (excl. GST) or less, and be held between 1 May and 31 December 2020.

To check full eligibility criteria and to apply, visit Destination NSW.

Grant for Indigenous Business Australia customers

Business finance and home loan customers of Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) who have been directly impacted by NSW bushfires can access:

  • the temporary suspension of loan repayments
  • a $2000 bushfire crisis grant to cover immediate needs
  • assistance to make insurance claims.

If required, further assistance will be assessed on an individual basis.

Call IBA on 1800 064 800.