Grants aim for quick boost to business

The City of Busselton has launched a Business Support Program offering quick-response grants to businesses affected by COVID-19.

Focused on helping local businesses with their sustainability, the program offers two grants — small business support grants; and economic or community development support grants.

Small business support grants are one-off grants of up to $5000, with $75,000 available to fund website design, e-commerce, digital marketing, COVID-19 advertising, and business strategy.

Economic or Community Development Support Grants of up to $25,000 are available for industry associations, not-for-profit organisations and community support organisations, with $85,000 being made available by the City for these type of grants.

Busselton Mayor Grant Henley said the council was fortunately in a financial position to offer these grants.

“These additional grants will further support local business to get back up and running and help people to get back to work,” he said.

Busselton Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Smart said it was great the City was recognising the troubles and hardships faced by businesses.

“These are definitely funds that businesses should use to think about how they want their business to be in the future,” he said.

“Those sorts of projects are worth investing in now because we are looking to try to rebuild our local economy.

“The decisions that the City should make around which businesses get the grants, it should be for those projects that are looking to build a sustainable economy rather than bailouts.”