Business Growth Fund Program

Round 7 announced

27 November 2025: Grants are now available for eligible small and family businesses.

The Business Growth Fund (BGF) is a grant program targeting high-growth businesses who can accelerate growth, drive Queensland's economy and employ more Queenslanders.

The program provides direct financial support for small and family businesses to purchase specialised equipment to grow, increase productivity and efficiency, increase market share or develop and expand export opportunities.

Available funding

Funding ranges from $50,000 to $75,000 (excluding GST). If successful, you'll receive funding in 3 milestone payments. You'll also need to contribute at least 50% of your total project costs.

You'll be expected to use the funding to:

  • increase confidence for growth, transitioning from small to medium-sized
  • increase productivity, turnover, profit and/or employment by 20%
  • improve confidence to automate, scale up, increase market share, diversify and/or exploit exporting opportunities.

Eligibility criteria

When you apply, and for the duration of your funded project, your business must:

  • be an established and financially sound small Queensland business with the potential for high growth within the next 2 years
  • have less than 20 employees (by headcount—see definition below)^
  • be operating, and have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)^
  • be registered for GST^ (as per your Australian Business Register (ABR) record)
  • have a registered Queensland headquarters location^ (as per your ABR record)
  • have a turnover# in the last financial year (2024-25) between $500,000 and $10 million
  • have a minimum trading history of 3 years
  • have experienced 2 years of high-growth+ and have clearly defined growth and employment opportunities in Queensland
  • not be insolvent or have owners/directors that are currently bankrupt or undischarged from bankruptcy^
  • not have been approved for funding under earlier BGF rounds^.

Use the eligibility checker before you apply.

# Turnover means aggregated turnover as defined in the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cwlth).

+ High growth is defined as an average annual 20% increase in turnover and/or employment in the last 2 years.

^ Your business must maintain this eligibility for the duration of the grant funded project.

Headcount

Headcount includes:

  • all full-time, part-time and casual employees
  • anyone who receives a salary or wage from your business.

Do not include business owners, non-executive directors or contractors in your headcount figure.

How to apply

The Business Growth Fund uses a 2-stage application process.

Stage 1: Registration of interest

Complete a registration of interest to be considered for this grant.

Submit your project application detailing:

  • how the proposed specialised equipment investment will directly enable business growth, demonstrating measurable increases in production capacity, efficiency, and output
  • how the equipment introduces innovation or technological advancement within your operations, improving competitiveness, productivity, and long-term sustainability
  • how the project will create new employment opportunities and support workforce development through training, upskilling, or new technical roles.

Registrations of interest are open now and close at 5pm, 30 January 2026.

Submit your application through the SmartyGrants portal. You must apply for a CDSB SmartyGrants applicant account (if you don't already have an account).

Apply now

Stage 2: Full application

If you pass the eligibility check and initial assessment, you will be invited to complete a full application which will be competitively assessed.

Key documents (round 7)

Previous rounds

Round 6

More information

View the small business grants schedule to watch for other grant opportunities.

View successful Business Growth Fund recipients from previous grant rounds.

You can access interpreter and translator services if required.

You can also subscribe to the Business Queensland Connect newsletter or follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with the latest information for Queensland small businesses.

Contact us

Phone 13 QGOV (13 74 68) or email grants@desbt.qld.gov.au.

Check your eligibility