Assistance to enter self-employment

Financial assistance to assist a client to investigate or enter self-employment by meeting the costs of:

• business skills training
• developing a business plan
• obtaining business advice before and during the start-up period of the person's business
• obtaining an independent vetting report and
• obtaining a post business start-up financial report

Financial assistance to assist a client who is entering self-employment to meet essential business start-up costs of (but not limited to):

• leasing premises
• purchasing or leasing plant or equipment (including legal fees) and
• obtaining insurance

Flexi-wage self-employment provides a short-term wage subsidy to clients who want to start up their own business and need financial support while they get started.

Flexi-wage self-employment is not included in the Employment and Work Readiness Assistance Programme. 

Business advice and reporting

Business training and advice grant can pay the costs for a client to investigate or enter self-employment. A client can make more than one application for assistance, but the total amount cannot be more than $5,000 in a 52-week period.

Business start-up costs

Clients entering self-employment can get up to $10,000 in a 52-week period to meet essential business start-up costs. The total business start-up costs cannot be used to pay for any living costs or costs covered by the business training and advice grant.