The Queensland Government has just announced its much anticipated funding boost for regional Queensland businesses.
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The $50m Backing Business in the Bush Fund is now open for applications and supports small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in regional Queensland.

Aiming for growth

The fund is designed to assist SMEs expand, enhance, or diversify their business operations across regional Queensland.

By investing in productivity and efficiency, technology and infrastructure, employment and upskilling, long-term sustainability, and competitiveness, the fund encourages businesses with regional projects to take their growth to the next level.

Objectives

The objectives of the fund are to:

  • Increase the productivity, long-term commercial sustainability, and competitiveness of regional Queensland businesses to capitalise on domestic and export growth opportunities.
  • Support businesses and industries to further adapt to economic change with sustained or increased employment and/or upskilling opportunities.
  • Increase private sector investment in regional Queensland to fund new projects.
  • Support businesses to adopt technology and/or practices to improve environmental sustainability.

Available funding

  • Grants from $500,000 up $2m are available, covering up to 50 per cent of a project’s eligible capital expenditure.

Target businesses

  • Established SMEs in regional Queensland employing between 5 and 199 employees.
  • Businesses should have a minimum turnover of $1m in each of the last two financial years.
  • Businesses must be located in Queensland (all local government areas in Queensland other than Southeast Queensland local government areas).

Target sectors

  • Agriculture, forestry and fishing
  • Mining, equipment and services
  • Transport and logistics
  • Manufacturing related to agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, processing minerals, transport and defence

Application process

There is a two-stage application process, with Stage one applications due on Sunday, 14 January 2024.

Eligible expenditure

  • Purchase, installation, and commissioning expenditures on new fixed assets required to commission the project.
  • Infrastructure capital expenditure and civil construction expenditure directly related to the project.
  • Development, upgrade, or expansion of enabling project infrastructure, and associated utilities or civil works required for the project.
  • Expenditure related to engaging a third-party contractor, unrelated to the applicant, to manage and deliver the project.

Don’t miss this opportunity to take your business to the next level.

Not a Queensland based business? Speak to us about other open grant programs:

Federal

Queensland

South Australia

Victoria

Western Australia

For more information contact Simone Barker, Director, Innovation Incentives.  

Learn more about how our Government grants services can help you
Learn more about how our Government grants services can help you
Visit our Government grants page