All businesses must be registered for GST to be eligible.

Other standard criteria include that a business is located/operating within South Australia, has a valid and active ABN (Australian Business Number) and has an Australia-wide grouped payroll of less than $10 million in the 2019-20 or 2020-21 financial year.

_{* Alternate comparison periods are available for businesses that commenced trading after December 2020.}

_{++ Businesses will NOT be eligible to receive a Business Hardship Grant – December 2021 if they have received support under any of the following State Government COVID-19 support packages launched on and after 27 December 2021, including:}

• _{Tourism, hospitality and gym grant - automatic payment;}
• _{Tourism, hospitality and gym grant - turnover based payment; or}
• _{Major Events Support Grant.}

Business Hardship Grant – December 2021

On 31 December 2021 the South Australian Government introduced a COVID-19 Business Hardship Grant has been introduced to provide assistance to those businesses impacted by health restrictions in place from 27 December 2021, but not eligible for the tourism, hospitality and gym grants (December 2021).

Grants of $6,000 for employing businesses and $2,000 for non-employing businesses are available for businesses that have experienced a decline in turnover of 50% or more as a result of the COVID-19 health trading restrictions introduced from 27 December 2021.

An additional $2,000 is available for eligible businesses (both employing and non-employing) with a commercial premise in the Adelaide CBD. This recognises the increased number of employees working from home (in line with health advice) and the impact this has on CBD businesses. The Adelaide CBD is defined as a commercial premise located in the 5000 postcode.

To be eligible for a grant, businesses must meet the criteria listed below as at the start of the restriction period of 12:01am Monday 27 December 2021:

• Be located/operating within South Australia.
• Have a valid and active ABN (Australian Business Number) and be registered for GST.
• Have an Australia-wide grouped payroll of less than $10 million in the 2019-20 or 2020-21 financial year.
• Experienced at least a 50 per cent reduction in turnover due to the restricted trading conditions over the two weeks from 27 December 2021 (the commencement date of the trading restriction) to 9 January 2022 compared to:
  • the comparable 2 weeks in 2019-20 for businesses actively trading in
    2019-20; or
  • the comparable 2 weeks in 2020-21 for businesses not actively trading in 2019-20.

There is no ANZSIC code eligibility requirement for the COVID-19 Business Hardship Grant. Businesses that have received the COVID‑19 Tourism, Hospitality and Gyms Grant – December 2021 are not eligible for the COVID-19 Business Hardship Grant.

To be deemed an employing business, the business must employ people in South Australia.

Where multiple non-employing businesses meeting the eligibility criteria are controlled by one individual, company, partnership, or trustee, funding will be restricted to one grant for all non‑employing businesses controlled by the individual, company, partnership, or trustee.

Businesses must be able to provide evidence of this reduction in turnover if requested and retain these records for 2 years from the date the grant was approved. Applications may be subject to audit.

Applications closed 31 March 2022.

The eligibility guidelines and FAQs are available to assist in completing your application.

If you have any questions regarding the grant, please contact the COVID-19 Business Grants Team.