Regional Business Gateways Program

The program supports collaborative, community-led projects that identify a specific challenge or opportunity for regional small businesses and put in place a plan to deliver improved capability.

Examples include projects which support local small and family businesses to connect into supply chains and procurement opportunities, accelerate capability and growth for emerging businesses, or improve operational capability and coordination across sectors.

A total of $4 million is available for round 1 of the program.

Funds ranging from $250,000 to $600,000 (excluding GST) are available to eligible applicants for collaborative, community-led and designed projects that respond to local small business needs.

Co-contribution is not required but is encouraged.

The Regional Business Gateways Program offers funding to local business communities to design and deliver initiatives that unlock regional opportunities and build long-term economic capacity.

Funding can be used towards projects that align to one or more of the following streams:

Business connectors: Projects that strengthen local supply chains and business-to-business collaboration.
Business accelerators: Projects that support under-represented, early-stage, and micro businesses.
Business enablers: Projects that build resilience and operational efficiency in sectors facing long-term challenges, to sustain growth and regional development.
Also, projects must:

be new initiatives or expand existing activities
address gaps in the current business support ecosystem in regional Queensland
not duplicate existing services or activities.

Your organisation must be based in regional Queensland* and be a:

local council
chamber of commerce, industry, or trade organisation
not-for-profit business networking or enabling organisation
or
a consortium led by at least one of the above.
*For the purposes of this program, regional Queensland includes all areas outside the Brisbane City Council local government area.

Your organisation must also:

be currently operating, and have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
have a minimum trading history of 1 year
be registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
have a registered regional Queensland location
not be insolvent
hold or obtain a minimum $10 million public liability insurance
have appropriate governance and financial systems in place to manage the project
comply with all relevant legal obligations.