Todays topic is employment grants and incentives available from the State and Federal governments. I have listed three below that are directly related to small and micro businesses in all industries.
The Office of State Revenue (OSR) recently announced a new Small Business Grant that pays $2,000 for creating a new job and employing a new person.
According to the OSR website, the employment should commence on or after 1 July 2015 and before 1 July 2019 to be maintained for at least 12 months. That new position should increase your number of full time employees and the services of the employee must be performed wholly and mainly in NSW.
There are exceptions however, such as public service employees, Crown employees, etc.
The grant should be claimed by online application within 60 days after the 12 month anniversary date.
The second one is the Restart Programme, provided by the Department of Employment as a wage subsidy that encourages businesses to employ mature aged workers.
Briefly, a wage subsidy of up to $10,000 (GST inclusive) is available for employers of eligible job seekers over the age of 50. To receive this wage subsidy, you need to employ a job seeker who is 50 years of age or older who has been on income support for six months or more. That person should also be registered with a jobactive or Disability Employment Services or Community Development Programme provider.
Another one comes from the Department of Defence that offers its own grant, Employer Support Payment Scheme (ESPS) for the employers of reservists and self-employed reservists, when the reservist is away on eligible periods of Defence service. The online application forms can be downloaded from Defence Reserves Support website.
More information and a complete list of Federal Government Grants can be found on http://www.business.gov.au/assistance website. Call us for help on 02 8858 3242.
