COVID-19 Financial Support Programs
Need help navigating your way through all of the Covid assistance info out there? Look no further!
COVID-19 has significantly impacted the arts, screen and culture sectors in NSW. To minimise the effects of the pandemic, the NSW and Federal Governments are providing funding and support to practitioners and organisations across the State.
We’ve compiled this list to help you on your way. Click on the red links below for more information on each of the assistance packages available. We’ll continue to add to this list as we hear of more funding options. If you know of any we have missed, please email seainfo@southeastarts.org.au
National and State-specific
A support payment for workers adversely affected by a state public health order.
This is a lump sum payment to help workers unable to earn income due to COVID-19 state public health orders. This may involve a lockdown, hotspot or movement restrictions.
How much you can get will depend on your location and your individual circumstances. The type of payment you may be able to get depends on if you already get an eligible Centrelink payment or not.
• If you are already receiving an eligible income support payment, you’ll get $200 each week on top of your regular weekly payment.
• If you are not receiving a Centrelink or DVA payment and are eligible, you can get $450 a week if you have lost at least 8 hours and less than 20 hours work. If you have lost more than 20 hours in a week, you’ll get $750 if eligible.
Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment
A support payment for if you can’t earn an income because you must self-isolate or quarantine or are caring for someone with COVID-19.
This is a lump sum payment of $1,500 to help you during the 14 days you need to self-isolate, quarantine or care for someone with COVID. If you need longer term help, check to see what other payments you may be eligible for.
Test and Isolate support payment
If you need to self-isolate and are unable to work while waiting for your coronavirus (COVID-19) test result, you may be eligible for the COVID-19 Test and Isolate support payment.
NSW workers can apply for the $320 payment if they:
• meet the eligibility criteria
• agree to follow NSW Health self-isolation guidelines while waiting for their COVID-19 test result.
Applications are now open for tests taken on or after 13 August 2021. You'll need to apply for the payment within 7 days of having the test.
An incentive payment of up to $200 per week for employers operating a business or not-for-profit in Australia to hire job seekers aged 16 to 35.
Closing date: 06 October 2022
For more information: https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/JobMaker-Hiring-Credit
Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements
This program provides a wage subsidy (50%) for all employers who engage a new Australian Apprentice.
Application closing date: 21 December 2022
If you’re a business, sole trader or not-for-profit organisation in NSW and you've been impacted by the recent COVID-19 restrictions, you may be eligible for a one-off grant of $7,500, $10,500 or $15,000.
The 2021 COVID-19 business grant provides support for businesses that experienced reduced demand or had to close due to the public health orders. It will provide businesses with cash flow support for the first 3 weeks of the Greater Sydney lockdown (26 June to 17 July 2021).
For support from week 4 of the restrictions (18 July 2021 onwards), see Apply for the JobSaver payment.
Eligible applicants across NSW can use the grant for business costs incurred from 1 June 2021 to 17 July 2021, including:
• salaries and wages
• utilities and rent
• financial, legal or other advice
• marketing and communications
• perishable goods
• other business costs.
Applications will close at 11:59pm on 13 September 2021.
If you’re a business, sole trader or not-for-profit organisation in NSW and you've been impacted by the recent COVID-19 restrictions, you may be eligible for the 2021 COVID-19 JobSaver payment.
JobSaver will provide cash flow support to impacted businesses in Greater Sydney and regional NSW to help maintain their NSW employee headcount.
Eligible businesses and not-for-profit organisations with employees will receive fortnightly payments backdated to cover costs incurred from week 4 of the Greater Sydney lockdown (from 18 July 2021 onwards).
The payment will be equivalent to 40% of the weekly payroll for work performed in NSW:
• minimum payment will be $1,500 per week
• maximum payment will be $100,000 per week.
Larger businesses in the hospitality, tourism and recreation industries with a turnover more than $250 million and up to $1 billion may be eligible for a larger weekly payment under the extension to the JobSaver scheme. For more information, visit JobSaver payment – large tourism, hospitality and recreation businesses.
Weekly payroll should generally be determined by referring to the most recent Business Activity Statement (BAS) provided to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) before 26 June 2021 for the 2020-21 financial year. See the guidelines for more information about calculating your weekly payroll.
If you’re a non-employing business, such as a sole trader, you may be eligible to receive a payment of $1,000 per week.
Eligibility:
• A revenue decline of 30% or more
• Turnover between $75, 000 and $250 million
Eligible businesses can use JobSaver to cover business costs incurred due to the impacts of the public health order in NSW. These costs may include:
• salaries and wages
• utilities and rent
• financial, legal or other advice
• marketing and communications
• perishable goods
• other business costs.
Applications will close at 11:59pm on 18 October 2021.
If you’re a micro-business (small business, sole trader or not-for-profit organisation with aggregated annual turnover between $30,000 and $75,000) impacted by the recent COVID-19 restrictions, you may be eligible to apply for a fortnightly payment of $1,500 to cover business expenses for the duration of the Greater Sydney lockdown.
The 2021 COVID-19 micro-business grant provides cash flow support for micro-businesses in New South Wales who have had their work impacted by the restrictions while continuing to incur business costs.
Eligible businesses will need to nominate the 2-week period in which they first experienced the required decline in turnover.
Eligible applicants can use the grant for business costs incurred due to the impacts of the health order in NSW and for which no other government support is available, including:
• salaries and wages
• utilities and rent
• financial, legal or other advice
• marketing and communications
• perishable goods
• other business costs.
Applications will close at 11:59pm on 18 October 2021.
COVID-19 Aboriginal Community Response
The COVID-19 Aboriginal Community Response Program will provide small quick response grants to support Aboriginal communities across NSW to reduce their risk of being exposed to COVID-19 and enable them to manage the impacts of the pandemic.
Grants of up to $10,000 are available for:
• social and emotional wellbeing support
• keeping communities connected
• responding to immediate needs
• advocacy and information.
Program closes: 5pm on 19 November 2021
Small Business Fees and Charges Rebate
If you are a sole trader, the owner of a small business or a not-for-profit organisation in NSW, you may be eligible for a small business fees and charges rebate of $1,500.
This rebate helps businesses recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and encourages growth by reducing the cost of running a business. Eligible businesses or not-for-profits only need to apply for the rebate once, but can submit multiple claims until the full value of $1,500 is reached.
Funds can be used to offset the costs of eligible NSW and local government fees and charges due and paid from 1 March 2021. These include, but are not limited to:
• food authority licences
• liquor licences
• tradesperson licences
• event fees
• outdoor seating fees
• council rates.
View the full list of eligible fees and charges.
The rebate cannot be used for fines or penalties, fees and charges that have the key purpose of discouraging behaviours or inducing behaviour changes, Commonwealth government charges, rent on government premises, or taxes. See guidelines for more information.
The rebate will be available until 30 June 2022.
Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements – Federal
This program provides a wage subsidy (50%) for all employers who engage a new Australian Apprentice. Closing date: 21 December 2022
Tax assistance is available to help businesses impacted by COVID-19. This includes, but is not limited to: payroll tax deferrals, payroll tax concessions, instant asset write-off, boosting cash flow for employers, backing business incentives, ATO COVID-19 helpline, ASIC COVID-19 relief, civil marriage celebrants annual registration fee, and adjustments to toll payments.
The Jobs Plus program offers support from the NSW Government to Australian and international companies who are looking to start or expand business operations in New South Wales.
If you want to enter or expand your business in NSW by starting a project that will create jobs, Jobs Plus could help reduce the costs and financial risks for your company, while strengthening the local economy.
Jobs Plus is open to businesses who create at least a net growth of 30 new full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs as part of a business project in NSW before 30 June 2024. One FTE job is equal to a ‘standard working week’ of 35 hours for ongoing roles. Full time roles can claim 1 FTE and part-time roles can claim a proportion of 1 FTE on a pro-rata basis.
The Jobs Plus program is open until 30 June 2022, or until support is fully allocated. Companies must start hiring new staff before this date. At least 30 new FTE staff must be hired and onboarded by 30 June 2024. All new staff must also live, and be paid, in NSW.
Applications will close on 30 June 2022.
The Australian Banking Association has outlined 3 key stages to repayments for eligible business owners who continue to experience financial difficulty as a result of COVID-19. This includes options to pay in full, make partial payments or access further hardship assistance. Customers will need to contact their financial institutions to discuss the options available to them.
Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Loan Guarantee Scheme
The Australian Government will guarantee 80% of the value of eligible business loans to small and medium enterprises impacted by COVID-19. Business can apply for 10 year loans of up to $5 million. These loans come with an option of a 24 month repayment holiday.
Current phase is available until 31 December 2021.
Residential tenancy support package
The Residential tenancy support package applies to eligible COVID-19 impacted tenants and landlords. It includes a freeze on evictions and assistance for landlords who reduce rent.
Eviction moratorium for residential tenants
A tenancy moratorium to restrict when landlords can evict tenants due to rental arrears is in place until 11 September 2021. Residential landlords who decrease rent for impacted tenants can apply for a grant or land tax reductions depending on their circumstances.
Tenants in commercial or retail premises
Protection will be offered for impacted tenants in commercial and retail tenancies in NSW. Landlords will not be able to lock out or evict impacted tenants without first going to mediation.
• Tenants must have an annual turnover of $50 million or less
• Tenants must be eligible for either the Micro-business COVID-19 Support Grant, the COVID-19 NSW Business Grant, or the JobSaver Scheme
Landlords leasing commercial properties
For landlords with tenants in financial distress. Landlords with commercial properties may be eligible for a land tax concession if they provide rent reductions to their tenants. This includes payment up to 100% of 2021 land tax on a parcel of land.
Eligibility
• For landlords who provide at least that much rental relief to tenants who are eligible for the: Micro-business COVID-19 Support Grant and/or, 2021 COVID-19 NSW Business Grant and/or, JobSaver scheme.
• Available for rent reductions made from now until 31 December 2021
Assistance for Indigenous Businesses
Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) is offering an Indigenous business relief package for eligible Indigenous businesses who have been impacted by COVID-19, those that are not existing IBA customers. Designed in collaboration with the National Indigenous Australians Agency, assistance may include loans, grants or a combination of both to help with ongoing fixed costs, access to specialist advice to help businesses through the COVID-19 crisis, and videos on how to manage a business during the pandemic. This package includes: Business Impact Assessment & Working capital assistance (up to $200,000).
If you are an exporting business, or if you were exporting goods or services before the impacts of COVID-19, bushfires or drought, you may be eligible for an export assistance grant of up to $10,000.
This grant helps eligible export businesses in NSW access global markets. Funds can be used for: marketing materials, website internationalisation, pivoting to online delivery (for example, converting face-to-face training content to online content for international audiences), e-commerce development, market research, international tradeshow and trade missions, inbound business support, costs to support compliance/localisation of products for export, and costs to protect business in international markets.
Applications close at 11:59pm on 31 December 2021 or when the allocated funding is exhausted. For more information:
NSW Performing Arts COVID Support Package
The aim of this package is to provide urgent financial support to performing arts venues, producers and promoters impacted by the cancellation or postponement of performances resulting from the NSW Government COVID-19 Public Health Orders from 26 June 2021.
The package is also designed to provide certainty to performing arts venues, producers and promoters of what assistance will be available if further COVID-19 Public Health Orders result in further cancellation of performances or restrictions in audience numbers.
Closing date: 30 September 2021
This grant program aims to provide targeted support to individuals and groups in the ‘small-to-medium’ sector in NSW in recognition of their role as important generators of cultural and artistic activity and crucial employers of artists across the state.
Individuals and Groups can apply for up to $5,000
Organisations can apply for up to $10,000
These grants aim to:
• Mitigate the impact of disruption on the development of new works and collaborations by the small-to-medium sector in NSW.
• Improve working conditions and opportunities for individuals who are suffering loss of income and opportunities, requiring targeted support as part of the economic recovery in NSW.
• Create greater sustainability for generating revenue and income in the cultural and creative sectors to build resilience against future shocks.
Closing date: 31st January 2022
Support Act - COVID-19 Crisis Relief Grant: For live performing Arts Workers
With continued funding support from the Australian Government through the Office for the Arts, Support Act is offering cash grants of $2,000 ($2,700 to families with dependent children) to music and performing arts workers, including theatre, dance and circus.
These grants are not a wage subsidy but a one-off payment to help pay the rent/mortgage, put food on the table, keep connected by paying power or phone bills, registering or servicing the car, paying medical expenses and so on.
Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund
The RISE Fund is supporting the arts and entertainment sector to reactivate. The program is targeting funding towards the arts and entertainment sector organisations to assist in the presentation of cultural and creative projects, activities and events to rebuild confidence amongst investors, producers and consumers. Projects that target audiences in outer metropolitan, regional and remote areas will also be taken into account, as well as projects that in that involve tours and use local regional pre-production and production, services and support acts.
Emergency COVID-19 Assistance Actor’s Benevolent Fund
The Actors Benevolent Fund of NSW is able to offer small measures to help relieve pressure for members of the performing arts community during the COVID-19 crisis.
Temporary Interruption Fund (TIF)
TIF provides assistance for new local productions which have been unable to start production due to production insurance exclusions relating to COVID-19.
Applications will close 5pm Friday 26 November 2021
The Arts Sustainability Fund will support the arts and entertainment sector to continue its activities with funding targeted towards significant Australian Government funded arts organisations to help them remain solvent. The program is intended to assist by providing the necessary finance to plan a pathway for recovery from the effects of COVID-19. This will support the employment of workers and contribute to rebuilding Australia's economy, as well as enhancing community wellbeing and access to cultural experiences across Australia.
Applications close at 11:45pm on the 31st May 2022