If you’re a medium business or a not-for-profit organisation in the Northern Rivers and you’ve experienced direct damage as a result of storms and floods in February and March 2022, you may be eligible for the Northern Rivers medium size business grant.

This grant of up to $200,000 is to help pay for the costs of clean-up and reinstatement of a medium business or not-for-profit organisation’s operations.

To be eligible, you must be a medium business or a not-for-profit organisation located in one of the following local government areas (LGAs):

• Ballina
• Byron
• Clarence Valley
• Kyogle
• Lismore
• Richmond Valley
• Tweed Shire.

Covered costs could include, but are not limited to:

• payment for tradespeople to conduct safety inspections
• equipment and materials required for cleaning up
• equipment and materials essential for immediately resuming operations
• payment for a cleaner if the service would not have been needed, or exceeds ordinary cleaning costs, in the absence of the disaster
• the removal and disposal of debris, damaged materials or damaged stock
• repairing premises, or repairing or replacing internal fittings, if it’s essential for resuming operations
• leasing temporary premises, if it’s essential for resuming operations
• replacing or repair of motor vehicles, if it’s essential for reinstatement of the business
• replacing lost or damaged stock, if it’s essential for immediately resuming operations
• temporarily adopting an online business model.

Available funding

The maximum grant amount available is $200,000.

Funds of up to $25,000 will be provided to eligible, approved applicants based on quotes or estimates submitted in your application. You do not need to provide evidence of payment at this stage.

If you submit another application, bringing your total claim to more than $25,000, you will need to provide evidence of payment for all funds, including the first $25,000 you claimed.

To receive funds of between $25,000 to $200,000, you will need to submit evidence of payment of the relevant costs at the time of application.

If your initial grant application is for an amount less than $200,000, you can submit further applications if you require additional funds to complete eligible clean-up and reinstatement activities.

Eligibility

You must be a medium business owner or a not-for-profit organisation in an eligible LGA and:

• have suffered direct damage – ‘direct damage’ means a direct and material impact of flooding on business assets or equipment
• be responsible for meeting the costs you are claiming
• intend to re-establish your medium business or not-for-profit organisation within the same area
• have employed a minimum of 21 and less than 200 full-time equivalent employees as at 22 February 2022.