Small and Medium Business Recovery Support Program

The WA Government has activated the Business Recovery Support Program to help business owners impacted by Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle.

About the grants

The Small Business Recovery Support Program will provide financial support to eligible small and medium businesses located or operating in one or more of the four (4) local government areas impacted by Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle and associated flooding.

The Small Business Development Corporation is delivering this program on behalf of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES).

The Program provides grants up to a maximum of $20,000 to eligible small and medium businesses to assist with costs of eligible activities. There are two (2) categories of grant assistance available:

Business support grants for economic loss (Shire of Exmouth only)

Individual grants of $10,000 or $20,000 (depending on the number of employees) to assist with economic loss. These grants are only available to eligible businesses in the local government area of Exmouth that have been directly impacted by a loss of trade between 27 March and 10 April 2026 arising from the reduction in tourist visitation due to airport, road and accommodation closures.

Business support grants for clean-up, repairs and reinstatement

Individual grants of up to $20,000 to assist with clean-up, repairs and reinstatement of business activities for businesses with significant damage and out of pocket repair expenses (including insurance excess), available to eligible businesses in the local government areas of Ashburton, Carnarvon, Exmouth, and Upper Gascoyne.

Eligible businesses can only apply for one (1) type of grant, and, if required, multiple applications can be made up to the maximum grant amount available.

Applications for the Small and Medium Business Recovery Program close at 5pm (AWST), Monday, 14 December 2026. Incomplete or unsubmitted applications and/or applications received after the closing date and time will NOT be considered.

We strongly advise you commence your application well before the closing date and time and submit your application at least 24 to 48 hours ahead of the due date to prevent missing the deadline.

Not sure which Local Government Area (LGA) your business is in?

Not sure which Local Government Area (LGA) your business is in? Type in the road or street address where your business trades from into the Local Government Directory to find out which LGA your business is located in.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply for a business support grant, applicants must own an eligible small or medium business that:

• employs fewer than 200 equivalent full-time employees at the time of the event;
• if a sole trader, has derived more than 50 per cent of income from the business before the event;
• holds an active Australian Business Number (ABN);
• is locally registered or operated;
• is registered for GST before the event;
• was conducting business in an eligible local government area prior to and at the time of the event:
  • for business support grants for economic loss – businesses in the local government area of Exmouth directly supporting the tourism industry*, including small retail, hospitality and accommodation support such as:
    • bakery product manufacturing;
    • beverage manufacturing;
    • cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services;
    • clubs;
    • grocery, liquor and tobacco product wholesaling;
    • pubs, taverns and bars;
    • recreational goods retailing;
    • laundry and housekeeping services to accommodation premises; and
    • supermarket and grocery stores.
    • *Note - Businesses that cannot demonstrate a sufficient connection to tourism will be ineligible.
  • for business support grants for clean-up, repairs and reinstatement – businesses must be located within the local government areas of Ashburton, Carnarvon, Exmouth and Upper Gascoyne.
• intends to continue or resume operations in the area;
• demonstrates a reduction in economic turnover and/or direct damage attributable to the event and the essential cost of repair or replacement are the applicant’s responsibility; and is not:
  • part of a national chain (except for franchises);
  • superannuation fund;
  • personal investment vehicle; or,
  • farm enterprise or primary producer (except for retail outlets).

Ineligible applicants

Applicants will not be eligible for grant assistance under the Program if the applicant has received, or has been approved to receive, financial assistance for the same costs from another government program or other assistance scheme, such as the STC Narelle Tourism Business Support Package.

Note, if an applicant has applied to another scheme (alternative application), the assessment of their application under this Program may be deferred until the outcome of the alternative application has been decided or withdrawn by the applicant.

Separate businesses

Applicants who operate more than one eligible business, for example under a single ABN at separate locations, may apply for assistance for each eligible separate business up to the maximum amount of assistance available. An eligible separate business means a business that would be commercially viable and autonomous business if the other separate businesses operated by the applicant ceased to operate. When determining an application on this basis, relevant considerations may include staffing arrangements, whether each business has its own plant, equipment or stock, the accounting and insurance arrangements, trading name, location or premise of business and the commercial viability and autonomy of each business.

Before you begin your application

Please ensure you carefully review the Small and Medium Business Support Program Guidelines, Terms and Conditions and the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Download the Program Guideline and FAQs

Your application

All documents required under this program must be supplied as unredacted (full and complete) PDF copies. Photographs must clearly show damage to the property and have a brief explanation of what they are showing contained in the title or name. The photographs should where possible include the metadata (i.e. author, date created, date modified and file size) and date and location.

All claims for reimbursement of costs must be exclusive of GST.

Please read each section of the application form and complete each question as requested and ensure the application form is completed in full with all the required information / documentation provided. If you do not provide all the information requested, we cannot progress your application.

When you submit your application form, you will receive an automated confirmation email with a copy of your submitted application attached. This will be sent to the email address that you used to register with SmartyGrants.

If you do not receive a 'confirmation of submission' email, then your application has not been received. Review the error message and ensure that all mandatory fields have been completed. You should then be able to successfully submit your application.

Incomplete or unsubmitted applications and/or applications received after the closing date and time will NOT be considered.

We strongly advise you commence your application well before the closing date and time and submit your application at least 24 to 48 hours ahead of the due date to prevent missing the deadline.

Applications for the Small and Medium Business Recovery Support Program will close at 5pm (AWST), Monday, 14 December 2026.

How to apply – step by step guide

1. Click the Apply Now link, which will redirect you to the SmartyGrants portal.
2. Register or Log In:
   • If you are a new user, click Register, enter your details, and activate your account via the email confirmation.
   • If you have an existing SmartyGrants or SmartyFile profile, simply log in.
3. Start an Application: Select the grant round you wish to apply for and click Start a Submission.
4. Fill Out the Form: Work your way through the application pages. You can use the navigation panel or buttons to jump between sections. Your progress is auto-saved as you type, but you can also click Save as Draft at the bottom of the page.
5. Upload Documents: Attach any necessary files (such as financials or project plans). Keep individual files under 5MB and do not exceed a total of 25MB.
6. Review and Submit: Once all pages are complete, click Review Form to check for any missed or incomplete fields. A PDF copy will be generated for your records. Click Submit Application to finalise.

Apply now

Tips for SmartyGrants

• Previewing: You can always click Download Preview Form to access a PDF version of the application before you start. This allows you to work offline or see exactly what information will be required.
• Team Access: It is highly recommended to use a generic team or organizational email address for your login so that multiple people in your organisation can access or collaborate on the submission.
• Confirmation: After you submit successfully, SmartyGrants will send a confirmation email containing a unique submission number and a PDF copy of your final application.

Please contact the Grants Team by email at grants@smallbusiness.wa.gov.au should you have any questions.

By submitting an application, and by accepting any grant, an Applicant is deemed to have agreed to comply with the terms and conditions of the programs.