Quick answer
Every state and territory runs small business grants, but they open in rounds, target specific goals and usually need you to spend first or contribute your own share. The official starting points are Business Queensland, Business Victoria, NSW Government grants and funding, business.sa.gov.au, Business Tasmania, the ACT and NT business sites, and the WA SBDC. The federal business.gov.au grants finder searches across all levels of government.
Key points
- Grants open and close in rounds — check the official finder before you plan around one
- Most grants fund a specific project, not general running costs
- Many require a co-contribution or pay only after you've spent the money
- The business.gov.au finder filters state, regional and federal programs by location
- National finder
- business.gov.au
- Typical structure
- Rounds, co-funded
- Paid
- Often in arrears
- Figures checked
- 1 October 2026
“Is there a grant for that?” is one of the first questions owners ask before a big spend, and it’s a good one. Every state and territory runs programs for small business. But grants rarely work the way people hope: they open in short rounds, fund specific projects, often need you to put in your own money, and are frequently paid after the fact. Knowing where to look and how they work saves a lot of wasted effort.
Where do I find grants in each state?
| State or territory | Official starting point | Examples of programs listed (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Queensland | Business Queensland grants | Business Basics, Business Boost, Business Growth Fund, Regional Business Gateways, disaster recovery grants |
| Victoria | Business Victoria grants and programs; Regional Development Victoria | Regional Jobs Fund, Regional Infrastructure Fund, Living Local Regional Fund |
| New South Wales | NSW Government grants and funding; Service NSW Business Bureau | Rounds vary; the Rural Assistance Authority handles regional and disaster support |
| South Australia | business.sa.gov.au (Office for Small and Family Business) | Powering Business Grants, Growth Accelerator Program, Small Business Fundamentals |
| Western Australia | SBDC; business.gov.au filtered for WA | State and regional programs vary by round |
| Tasmania | Business Tasmania grant and funding finder | Rounds vary; free advice services run year-round |
| ACT | act.gov.au business grants and funding | Territory and federal grants; free CBASS advice |
| Northern Territory | business.nt.gov.au | Programs for Aboriginal businesses, workforce programs, October Business Month |
The federal business.gov.au grants finder is the best single search. It covers federal, state and territory programs and lets you filter by where your business operates.
Programs change quickly. Treat the examples above as a guide to the kind of help each state offers, and always check the live listing before planning around a specific grant.
What do state grants usually pay for?
Most grants are designed to change something specific. Common themes across the states:
- Growth and jobs — expanding capacity, entering new markets, hiring.
- Technology and productivity — new equipment, digital systems, automation, AI.
- Energy efficiency — upgrades that cut power costs, such as South Australia’s Powering Business Grants.
- Regional development — projects that create jobs or investment outside the capitals.
- Disaster recovery and resilience — clean-up and recovery after declared events, and preparation beforehand.
- Exporting and innovation.
What grants rarely cover: general running costs, existing debts, tax bills or wages you’d be paying anyway.
How do grant rounds actually work?
- A round opens with guidelines setting out who’s eligible, what costs count and how applications are assessed.
- You apply within the window, often with quotes, a project plan and financial information.
- Assessment can take weeks or months, particularly for competitive rounds.
- A funding agreement sets out milestones and reporting if you’re successful.
- Payment is often made on reimbursement or at milestones, after you’ve spent the money and shown evidence.
Two features catch owners out: the co-contribution (you fund part of the project yourself) and payment in arrears (the grant arrives after the spending). Both mean you need cash, or finance, to deliver the project. Our guide to applying for state business grants goes step by step.
How do grants and finance work together?
Grants and loans aren’t either-or. Many businesses use both:
- Carrying the project until the grant is paid — a line of credit or short-term loan covers the spend, then the grant repays it.
- Funding the co-contribution — the business’s share of the project cost.
- Keeping working capital intact so a project doesn’t starve day-to-day operations.
Government loans are another option in some sectors, particularly agriculture and disaster recovery; our government business loans guide compares them. Private finance is faster to arrange and less restrictive about what it funds. Secured against a home or commercial building, loans range from $20,000 to $5,000,000, and unsecured options for trading businesses are typically $5,000 to $500,000. If a grant project is on the cards, check what your business could qualify for alongside the application.
Illustrative example: a Riverland food processor is approved for an energy-efficiency grant covering part of the cost of a new refrigeration system, paid after installation. The business funds the full purchase with a short-term facility secured against its premises, installs the system, submits the evidence, and uses the grant payment to pay the facility down.
Tips before you apply
- Read the guidelines twice. Ineligible costs and missing documents are the most common reasons applications fail.
- Get quotes early. Suppliers get busy when a popular round opens.
- Don’t start work too soon. Many programs won’t fund costs incurred before approval.
- Plan for a no. Make sure the project still makes sense, or can be scaled, if the grant doesn’t come through.
- Ask for help. State advisory services such as CBASS in the ACT, the SBDC in WA and the Tasmanian Business Advice Service can help you judge whether a program fits.
State-by-state detail is in our Queensland and South Australia guides, among others, and the interactive map links to each state’s support services.
Got a grant project in mind?
A grant can be a great boost, as long as the cash side is planned. Tell us your state, the project and when you expect the grant to be paid. It needs only a minute or so and there’s no credit check. Your details go to our team only, not out to a pack of lenders, and a real person calls to talk through how to fund the gap. Please fill the form in carefully so we can match you properly on the first call.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find small business grants in my state?
Start with the business.gov.au grants finder, which searches federal, state and territory programs and filters by where you operate. Then check your state's own site: Business Queensland, Business Victoria, NSW Government grants and funding, business.sa.gov.au, Business Tasmania, act.gov.au/business, business.nt.gov.au or the WA SBDC.
Can I get a grant to start a business?
Occasionally, but most state grants target established businesses doing something specific — hiring, exporting, adopting technology, improving energy efficiency or recovering from a disaster. Start-up support is more often advice, mentoring and training than cash.
Are grants paid upfront?
Often not. Many grants are paid on reimbursement or in stages after you show the work is done and paid for, and many require you to contribute part of the cost. That's why owners frequently use finance to carry the project until the grant arrives.
Do I have to pay tax on a grant?
Generally, business grants are assessable income, although some disaster recovery grants have been made non-assessable. Check the ATO guidance and ask your accountant about the specific grant.
What are my chances of getting a competitive grant?
It depends on the program. Competitive rounds can be oversubscribed, so it's sensible to plan the project so it still works if the grant doesn't come through, or comes through later than hoped.