The Cook Government has announced a new $1 million grant program offering matched funding of up to $10,000 for small businesses, presenting a significant opportunity for Western Australian agritourism operators to invest in strategic growth. The Small Business Growth Grants, delivered through the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC), are designed to help enterprises scale up, diversify, and enhance their capabilities by co-funding access to specialist advice and services.
Targeted Support for Strategic Development
The program directly addresses many of the core challenges faced by farm-based tourism businesses. Operators can apply for vouchers to co-fund a range of critical business activities, including professional business planning, digital marketing and e-commerce development, financial health analysis, and cybersecurity enhancements. According to the announcement, the funding is intended to help businesses “unlock new opportunities, diversify or scale-up with confidence.” For an agritourism operator, this could translate into developing a new online booking system, creating a professional marketing strategy to attract interstate visitors, or seeking expert advice on export readiness for value-added farm products.
The matched funding model requires businesses to contribute to the cost of the services, with the government matching that investment up to a maximum of $10,000. For many of our members, investing in professional marketing or financial planning is a significant hurdle. This matched funding lowers that barrier, turning a major expense into a manageable investment in future growth. The initiative also encourages recipients to engage other Western Australian small businesses to deliver these services, aiming to stimulate the local economy further.
How the Program Works
The Small Business Growth Grants will be administered by the SBDC, the State Government’s key agency for small business support. In a statement, Small Business Minister Jackie Jarvis emphasised the government’s commitment to the sector, which contributes over $50 billion to the state’s economy annually. “This investment demonstrates our government’s ongoing commitment to supporting local jobs and small businesses, and ensuring WA remains the strongest economy in the nation,” the Minister said.
Small Business Commissioner Saj Abdoolakhan added that the grants would help businesses access the specialised advice needed to build capability. “Whether an enterprise needs to improve their online presence, get help managing their supply chain, develop systems for a safe workplace or secure other specialist help, the Small Business Growth Grant will help them access the specialist business services and advice they need,” he stated.
Preparing Your Application
As applications opened at 10 am on Monday, 4 August, operators are encouraged to begin identifying key areas for strategic investment in their business. A well-defined project with clear outcomes, such as increasing direct bookings through a new website or improving financial reporting to secure a bank loan, will likely form the basis of a strong application. For more information and to apply, operators should visit the SBDC website at www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au.
