Here are three options that can help you when applying for grants in Australia.
Business.gov.au
This Australian Government website provides an extensive range of information about grants and assistance available to small-to-medium businesses from all levels of government.
It has a massive amount of information and you can easily drill down to find the information you need based on your postcode, industry and business type as well as your objectives.
Your search can choose all or just one of the objective types:
- build or improve infrastructure
- employ people
- training and skills development
- defence industry capability
- import or export products or services
- improve or grow your business
- investment money in other businesses
- organise a community event
- prevent or recover from a natural disaster
- purchase or upgrade equipment, vehicles or tools
- start a business
- recycle waste or reduce energy use
- research and develop innovative new products or services
- upgrade, restore or fit out a building.
While information on the search engine is extensive, it is not complete at the state and local levels. The scope and currency of information depends on information contributed by each state government agency or local government.
Apart from funding assistance, many programs indexed in the search engine can also help build skills and knowledge within your business.
GrantConnect
GrantConnect is a search engine that houses information specifically about Australian Government grants.
Under Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines, all Australian Government agencies must only use GrantConnect and not their own websites to publish grant opportunities and documentation.
This makes GrantConnect not only a one-stop shop, but also an authoratative and complete one.
The site provides information about potential grants on the horizon, current grants and those that have closed.
Information about potential grant opportunities looks forward about two and a half years. However, publication of grant opportunities does not represent a firm financial commitment by the Australian Government as each opportunity can be revised, cancelled or withdrawn at any time.
The site’s search function allows search by keywords, phrases or a reference number. You can receive email notifications about grant forecasts and opportunities based on the state and keywords you nominate.
The Grants Hub
This is a privately-owned website that provides information about grants offered by businesses, trusts, foundations and the different levels of government. The search filter allows you to find grants by state, the applicant type (including ‘business’), type of provider, the amount needed and when it is needed.
The majority of grants on this site are suited for non-for-profits and community-based organisations. However, some grants listed are available for startups and organisations that help people get back into the workforce.
