Storm and flood disaster recovery small business grant (February to March 2022) – Application guide

What the payment can be used for

The grant can help pay for the costs of cleaning up and resuming your small business or not-for-profit organisation’s operations.

For example, you can use the funds for:

• paying tradespeople to conduct safety inspections or repairs
• tools, materials or hiring a cleaner for the post-flood clean-up
• tools and materials needed to immediately resume operations
• removing and disposing of debris, damaged materials or damaged stock
• repairing premises and internal fittings
• leasing temporary premises, replacing or repair of motor vehicles, or replacing lost or damaged stock, if it’s essential for resuming operations.

How you can receive the grant

You can receive up to $50,000 in total in one application. If your initial application is for less than $50,000, you can submit further applications if you need additional funds. However, additional evidence requirements apply.

Evidence and documentation

For any amount you're seeking up to $15,000, you'll need:

• a list of the direct damage and the costs associated
• photos of the direct damage
• quotes for replacements, works or services
• any other supporting information, such as damage assessments or receipts.

Highly impacted suburbs

If you're in a highly impacted suburb and you're applying for less than $15,000, as evidence of direct impact, you're only required to provide:

• a list of the direct damage and the costs associated
• photos of the direct damage.

If you’re seeking more than $15,000 in a highly impacted suburb, you'll need to provide evidence of payment for completed work for the entire amount of funding for which you are applying. This could include invoices, receipts or a copy of a bank statement or bank transfer.

Severely impacted suburbs

If you're in a severely impacted suburb and you're applying for up to $25,000, as evidence of direct impact, you're only required to provide:

• a list of the direct damage and costs associated
• photos of the direct damage.

If you’re seeking more than $25,000 in a severely impacted suburb, you'll need to provide evidence of payment for completed work for the entire amount of funding for which you are applying. This could include invoices, receipts or a copy of a bank statement or bank transfer.

For more information about documents and examples, see what you need.

Eligibility

You must be a small business or a not-for-profit organisation in a defined disaster area and meet other criteria. You can start by completing the eligibility checker.

For more information, read the eligibility requirements.

If you have insurance

The grant is not available if you’re entitled to make a claim and receive funds under an insurance policy for the expenses listed in your application or if you’ve already received insurance funds for those expenses.

What you need to apply

Please have the following ready before you start the application:

• a MyServiceNSW Account – you can create one when you start your application
• your proof of identity
• your valid ABN/ACN number
• evidence of your not-for-profit status (if applicable)
• Your business banking details for payment.

Proof of identity

Two proof of identity documents are required. They may include:

• Australian driver licence
• Medicare card
• Australian passport or citizenship certificate
• Australian birth certificate
• Australian travel visa
• Australian certificate of registration by descent
• Australian ImmiCard.

Supporting documents

You may need to upload the following supporting documents. Make sure that you have them saved on your desktop or mobile device so that they are ready to attach to your application. Even if they’re not needed when you apply, we may request them at a later date.

• A list outlining each item that you intend to purchase using the funding.
• The known or estimated cost of each item.
• Documentation to support each item, such as an official quotes, invoices or receipts dated after the flood or storm event in your local government area (invoices and receipts must include the supplier’s name and address, and ABN if applicable).
• Photos showing the direct storm and flood-related damage.
• Any other supporting information that demonstrates the financial impact of the damage (such as damage assessments).
• Bank transfers and/or bank statements if invoices are not available.

Notes:

• If you're in a highly impacted suburb and you're applying for less than $15,000, as evidence of direct impact, you're only required to provide: 
  • a list of the direct damage and the costs associated
  • photos of the direct damage.

• If you're in a severely impacted suburb and you're applying for up to $25,000, as evidence of direct impact, you're only required to provide:

  • a list of the direct damage and costs associated
  • photographic evidence of the direct damage.

To verify the address where you were impacted, you may be required to provide:

• rates notice or lease agreement
• invoices supplied to the business for goods and services
• utility bills
• insurance papers
• registration papers
• contractor licences.

Businesses who were working in the flood-affected area at time of disaster may need to provide alternative evidence to prove you were working in the impacted area, such as a work order. 

If you’re seeking more than $15,000, you'll need to provide invoices for completed work for the entire amount of funding for which you are applying.

If you are a not-for-profit organisation, you will need to provide:

• registration letter from the Australian Charities and Non-for-profits Commission (ACNC)
• or incorporated letter from NSW Fair Trading.

If you don’t have the above, you will need to supply the following:

• your constitution at the time of the disaster
• minutes from your last 3 annual general meetings
• your audited financial statements for the three years prior to the disaster.

If you’re a sole trader, you may be asked to supply a letter from an accountant to confirm that in FY 2020–21 and/or FY 2021–22, you derived or will derive more than 51% of your income from the business. 

Complete your application all at once

You cannot save and resume your application. Please have all the information ready when you start your application.

How long it will take to complete the application

If you have all your documents ready, you'll need around 20 minutes to complete your application.

Closing date

30 June 2023.

To be eligible, you must meet all of the following requirements that apply to you as a small business, not-for-profit organisation or sole trader:

• You are a small business owner or a not-for-profit organisation.
• Your business or not-for-profit organisation is in a defined disaster area.
• If you are a small business, you held an ABN and still hold the ABN, and ran the business at the time of the floods in the defined disaster area.
• If you are a not-for-profit organisation, you were and are still registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) or NSW Fair Trading at the time of the floods in the defined disaster area, or can show alternative evidence of your not-for-profit status.
• Your business or not-for-profit organisation is directly impacted by the storms and floods of February/March 2022 (meaning a direct and material impact of flood on business assets or equipment).
• You are primarily responsible for meeting the costs you are claiming.
• You are intending to re-establish your small business or not-for-profit organisation within the same area.
• If you are a sole trader with less than one equivalent full-time employee, you must derive a majority of your income from the small business.
• If your small business or not-for-profit organisation is located outside the defined disaster area, you may be eligible if your small business or not-for-profit organisation operates on a part-time or regular basis within the defined disaster area, and equipment and/or a plant your small business owns is located in the defined disaster area. Supporting documentation of the impacted address will be required.
• If you operate multiple small businesses, you may be able to apply for grant funding for each eligible separate business up to the maximum amount available. Evidence to satisfy this may be required.

Any of these factors will make you ineligible:

• If you’re entitled to make a claim under an insurance policy for the expenses listed in your application.
• If you have received funds for the expenses you are claiming under an insurance policy.
• If you are claiming the payment to cover loss of income as a result of the February/March 2022 storms and floods.
• If you are a sole trader with less than one equivalent full time employee and you do not derive a majority of your income from the business.
• If you have received funding or assistance from any other government source or program or donation and that funding or assistance has met the same costs you are claiming in your application.
• If your claim is for repairs to a building that the small business or not-for-profit organisation lets to a person for residential or commercial purposes, unless you let the property in the course of operating the small business or not-for-profit organisation.
• Superannuation funds and personal investment vehicles are not regarded as businesses.

If you cannot provide supporting evidence due to lost or damaged documents, or because it is unsafe to return home or place of business

Call 13 77 88 and ask to speak to a Business Concierge or register for a call back to discuss your options.

Other financial assistance available

To find out what other support you may be eligible for, visit storm and flood assistance for businesses.

You can also call 13 77 88 and ask to speak to a Business Concierge or register for a call back.

Assessment of applications

Applications are thoroughly assessed to make sure that eligible customers receive financial assistance, and to ensure the funds are correctly distributed.

We consider the information in your application and your supporting documentation. If any of your supporting documentation is missing or is unclear, we will contact you to request further details.

Getting your application assessed quickly

To avoid a delay in assessment of your application, please ensure that all of your supporting documents are attached and the information that you provide us is correct at the time you submit your application.

Please also respond promptly to any emails or phone calls from us to help clarify information in your application.

Auditing requirements

You may be audited in the future, so please keep all documentary evidence including valid tax invoices and receipts relating to your application and the use of the grant funds, for a minimum of 2 years.

If you are found ineligible for the grant following an audit, you will be required to repay the funds.

We are here to help. Call 13 77 88 and ask to speak to a Business Concierge or register for a call back.