Business grants expanded
Small businesses that were earlier excluded from a State government COVID-19 support program have gained a reprieve.
Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath said eligibility for grants of up to $10,000 has now been expanded to include businesses whose annual payrolls were below $650,000 are were participating in the Federal government’s JobKeeper program or were in industry sectors that had been specifically excluded.
She said The Nationals had led the campaign to provide the support for those businesses that were initially given an impression they would qualify for the grants.
Applications that close on June 1 can be made via https://www.business.vic.gov.au
Those businesses that have previously applied but were in industries previously excluded will be contacted by Business Victoria and do not need to submit a new application.
Among costs the grants can be used towards are utilities, salaries and rent; financial, legal and other advice to support business continuity; marketing and communications, and other activities that support business operation.
Ms Bath said under the initial criteria thousands of Victoria small businesses impacted by COVID-19 discovered they were not eligible to apply for the support grants.
They could not apply if they were in certain industry sectors or unless the business had been forced to close.
That was blatantly unfair and unjust, Ms Bath said.
Small businesses across Victoria have been hard hit due to the responses to the virus and deserved support, she added.