[Updated Sept 2021] Digital grants available to transform your small business
Over the last 2 years, digital marketing has emerged as an essential part of the business.
Online development, design, and content creation can be pricey, and a tad overwhelming.
These days budgets are stretched too thin already, and expert help always comes at a cost.
The good news: there are small business digital marketing grants out there and we’ve got all the info you need.
In this article you’ll discover all the digital grants available right now complete with:
- Who they’re for
- What they’re for
- And how to apply.
We’ve also included our top tips on how you can make the most of the funding to sustain, adapt and grow your business and during these difficult times.
Table of Contents:
- Digital grant summaries
- Queensland
- Victoria
- Northern Territory
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Western Australia
- Tasmania
- South Australia
- Ideas on how to use grants and incentives for digital innovation
- Benefits of moving your business online
Small business digital marketing grant programs
In these uncertain times, funding is changing all the time.
We’ll be monitoring the opportunities for small-to-medium businesses (SME) and regularly updating this article.
| Queensland COVID-19 Business Support Grant for lockdown-impacted businesses or the SME Adaption Grant program. For target assistance in digital marketing, there is an SME Digital Grants Program. For slightly larger businesses, the Ignite Ideas Fund aims to help you grow in a competitive market. Victoria The Small Business Digital Adaptation Program allows businesses to apply for a $1200 rebate upon purchasing a digital product to build digital capability. Northern Territory The Business Growth Program helps businesses, non-for-profits, and Aboriginal enterprises receive support from grants and funding outlets. Australian Capital Territory Innovation Connect Grants (ICON) supports entrepreneurs to develop and grow ideas. New South Wales No digital grants at this time Western Australia No digital grants at this time Tasmania No digital grants at this time South Australia No digital grants at this time |
Queensland
If COVID-19 shutdown restrictions have highly impacted your business, this grant will help you stay on your feet.
If you are accepted into the grant program you can get funding to help with:
- Training and Coaching:
- Business development
- Marketing
- Human resources
- Business planning topics
- Website build or upgrades:
- Adding e-commerce,
- Builds or upgrads
- Developing new website content
- Professional business advice:
- Business plans and strategies
- Strategic marketing services:
- Strategive marketing plans
- Search engine optimisation (SEO) advice
- Business continuity and sucession:
- Including cybersecurity training and tools
| What can you get? | Eligibility Criteria: | Closing Date |
| $5,000 (excluding GST) | To be eligible for this grant, your business must: Not have been approved for funding under Round 1 of the Business Basics Grants program No more than 20 employees An active ABN Based in regional Queensland Have a turnover of $300,000 or less for the last financial year (2020–21) | Launch date 9th September |
The Business Basics grants program provides support to businesses to increase core skills and adopt best practice.
It’s designed for local small-to-medium businesses and can be used for any business expenses.
| What can you get? | Eligibility Criteria: | Closing Date |
| $5,000 (excluding GST) | Turnover of more than $75,000 per annum or Annual payroll in Queensland of up to $10 million. You must have experienced at least a 30% reduction in turnover as a result of the lockdown. | Application open mid-august. Receive funds with 2 weeks of approval |
2. SME Adaption Grant
If COVID-19 restrictions have highly impacted your business, this program is here to help.
Use the funding to:
- Access digital platforms and boost your business online
- Increase or improve your marketing and communication activities. This includes content development, web pages and SEO copywriting.
- Respond to online opportunities and maintain the potential for future growth
- Digital/technological training or development
- Meet operating costs
- Embrace business diversification
- Create and retain employment
| What can you get? | Eligibility Criteria: | Closing Date |
| Minimum of $2,000 and up to $10,000 | Have fewer than 20 employees Subject to closure or highly impacted by current shutdown restrictions Located in Queensland headquarters An annual turnover of over $75,000 for 2 years A minimum 30% decline since 23 March 2020, over a 1-month period | To be advised |
- The QLD Small Business Digital Marketing Grants Program (currently closed – stay tuned for future rounds).
This grant program provides small businesses with access to digital technologies and services to adapt and grow using online business opportunities.
The digital technology or service can be anything within:
- digital marketing and social media
- digital content, like web pages, mobile apps, media.
- receiving payments or selling online
- specialised digital technology or software (business specific)
- digital planning and advice/training.
| What can you get? | Eligibility Criteria: | Closing Date |
| up to $10,000 | have fewer than 20 employees have an ABN and GST Located in Queensland Declare if any owners are bankrupt or insolvent. Only 1 application per year | Closed. Future rounds under review |
If you’re a small business based in Queensland, you could be eligible to have your investment matched dollar for dollar. The beauty of this grant is that it lets you decide where the money is needed most. That could be copywriting services, building your social media, or building a digital strategy.
3. Business Growth Fund Program
Queensland’s business growth fund provides SME’s with specialised equipment to increase growth, production and their workforce.
Funding must be used to buy equipment that directly links to increasing employment and maximising economic returns.
Eligible highly-specialised equipment includes:
- Production equipment
- Advanced manufacturing or digital equipment and systems
- Advanced logistics systems and equipment.
| What can you get? | Eligibility Criteria: | Closing Date |
| Single up-front payment up to $50,000 | Must fund at least 25% of project costs Small to medium Queensland business Financially sound business Seen 20% increase in productivity, profit or employment last 2 years Clearly defined plan for growth | 16 August 2021 |
To submit an application for any of these, head to the Queensland government website. For more info on the program and application process, check out the guidelines or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68).
Victoria
If you’re a business in Victoria, it’s probably been the most challenging year yet.
To help, the Victorian Government has announced they will invest $44 million in support.
1. Small Business Adaption Program
The funding includes $20 million for The Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant program (Round 3).
This is an excellent way for small businesses to dive into digital marketing.
The government has partnered up with 12 digital platforms to assist Victorian businesses in trialling and adopting digital business management tools.
| What can you get? | Eligibility Criteria: | Closing Date |
| Up to $1200 rebate to cover 12months | Operate a business in Victoria Have an ABN | To be advised |
2. Small Business Grants – City of Melbourne (Current)
This supports SME’s and start-ups who offer a unique innovative product or service.
The grant can be used at a variety of different product or service stages:
- Development: supports start-ups in the testing phases, not yet generating revenue
- Start-ups
- Expansion: will help you expand into wider services or products
- Export: It encourages businesses to expand into overseas markets
| What can you get? | Eligibility Criteria: | Closing Date |
| Up to $30,000 | Operate a business in MelbourneHave an ABN Less than 20 employees A product or service market-ready | N/A |
Whatever stage your business is at, this grant can help you digitally transform and adapt to the new market.
The funding can be used for a number of things including website development, copywriting, or social media.
This grant is a digital all-rounder.
Northern Territory
The NT has the lowest number of businesses connected to the internet at 81%.
Only 22% of those say they have a digital strategy in place.
But it’s not all bad news.
The government has created its own digital territory strategy to help.
“Digital knowledge and innovation is key to keeping business operations efficient, developing new products and finding new markets” – Northern Territory Government
1. Business Growth Program
The Business Growth Program helps businesses access professional services to improve their performance and profits. The funding is for services in marketing, strategy, mentoring, coaching and more.
This small business digital marketing grant can cover:
- Websites & eCommerce: Dollar for dollar matching up to $5,000 of the costs of getting a new website or online store built. This includes hosting, copywriting and content creation.
- Digital marketing plans: Aids the research and other services from an approved digital marketing consultant.
- Digital coaching: Helps to secure digital coaching services and consultation from digital solutions providers.
- Social media strategy: Help developing and executing a social media strategy for your business.
| What can you get? | Eligibility Criteria: | Closing Date |
| Up to $10,000 based on a 50-50 co-contribution. | An NT business Operated for at least 2 years A commercial or not-for-profit entity You are registered for GSTA turnover of at least $75,000 a year You have not previously received a Business Growth, Digital Solutions or Business Solutions Grant. | N/A |
Australian Capital Territory
The capital territory has its own grants for small businesses through its $800 million injection into digital technologies.
1. Innovation Connects Grants (ICON)
This grant focuses on startups, is a match-fund approach and provides support for:
- Market Testing: Supports innovative, entrepreneurial ideas to a market-ready position, including market testing.
- Marketing Development: Assists with development and testing of effective marketing approaches and with legal, IP and patenting advice
- Prove the technical or commercial feasibility of a concept.
- Supports the development of product prototypes or functional software.
| What can you get? | Eligibility Criteria: | Closing Date |
| Between $10,000-$30,000 | Under Review | N/A |
The beauty of this initiative is that it allows business owners to use the program in line with their business needs.
New South Wales
No small business digital marketing grants
Western Australia
No small business digital marketing grants.
Tasmania
No small business digital marketing grants.
South Australia
No small business digital marketing grants.
2 years ago, you probably had no idea the future of your business would depend so critically on online communication.
You may not have ever heard of Zoom, or ever considered using email marketing to reach your customers.
And you’re not alone.
Prior to Covid, many businesses had never actually sold a single product or service online.
Even now, small businesses make up 97% of Australian companies but 59% of them don’t even have a basic website.
Benefits of moving your business online
- It’s scalable: Your business can grow as your customer base increases, not limited by physical borders.
- Break down borders: Access the wider market and find the audience that’s right for your product, not just people locally. There is no limit to whom you can reach.
- Brand credibility: Solidify your brand’s personality and become a leader in your industry.
- Cut in front: Moving online means you gain access to marketing and consumer insights that can put you ahead of your competition. Rank higher on Google and target the right people.
Ideas on how to use small business digital marketing grants
Every business is unique, there’s no ‘one-size fits all’ approach when it comes to digital.
And the potential of digital marketing is endless.
Here are some of the ways you could use your grant.
Business websites
Does your current website support desktop and mobile?
Can your dream clients easily find your products and services?
Are you maximising the potential of your current site?
Optimising your website is not just about behind-the-scenes tech.
It’s about the value, info and solutions you present to your readers.
You can use a variety of small to medium business loans to refine the message and the enhance technical capability of your website.
Even now, small businesses make up 97% of Australian companies.
59% of those businesses don’t even have a basic website.
Content Creation
Your content is the driving force in modern marketing and sales, and in client satisfaction and retention.
That’s why most government grants include digital funding for services like copywriting, graphics and videography.
Developing great content will accelerate your business success in the digital landscape.
Creating a digital strategy
A great use of your funds is to employ services to help you create a digital marketing strategy.
The best way to cut through the noise and keep people from scrolling right past you is by finding ways to differentiate your company from the rest.
Intranet or virtual Office
Would your team be more productive with centralised digital resources?
Do you need a way to keep in touch with the team virtually?
A great way to improve productivity and collaboration is with a centralised online location for digital resources, collaboration tools and customer data.
Why not use a digital grant funding to pay for these digital resources?
- Asana allows you to track and work on joint projects online.
- Collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams can replace email, text messaging, and instant messaging for your team and keep all those communication styles together in one app, making your business more time-efficient.
- You could use a platform like Microsoft Sharepoint, where you can integrate data from multiple sources to create dashboards or analyse data without having to export and combine data from multiple systems manually.
Ready to transform your business?
Digital grants offer an excellent opportunity to tap into Government assistance to help you diversify your business and build a sustainable and successful digital presence.
With the funds to back you up, and the experts to support you, you’ll be more able to evolve and grow – now, and into the future.
Ready to get started on your digital project?
We’re here to help.
And before you go,
Here’s a FREE downloadable for you with all the info on digital grants.
We update it every month to keep it as accurate as possible so don’t forget to check back in and see what’s new.
