Exceptional Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant - Ingham Uninsured Perishable Stock Losses Program

This grant provides financial support to small and family businesses in Ingham and surrounding areas that lost power for 5 consecutive days or more due to the de-energising of the Ingham substation in early 2025. This was caused by the North and Far North Tropical Low weather event (29 January to 28 February 2025).

Your business must have lost perishable stock due to the event, but was not insured for these losses and is facing exceptional circumstances or hardship.

This grant is not available to businesses that suffered a direct impact from the disaster and meet the eligibility criteria for the $50,000 Exceptional Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant.

The program is administered by the Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business (CDSB). It is jointly supported by the Australian and Queensland governments under the Commonwealth State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Available funding

You may be eligible to receive a single up-front grant payment of up to $25,000 (excluding GST).

How funding may be used

We provide grants to help pay for the costs of restocking uninsured perishable goods lost during power outages of 5 consecutive days or more resulting from the de-energising of the Ingham substation to enable you to resume business operations. Costs must be directly related to damage caused by the event.

This includes:

• replacement of spoiled food items, including meats, seafood, dairy products, beverages, fresh produce and prepared meals
• replacement of perishable ingredients and raw materials used in food preparation
• replenishment of perishable retail merchandise such as flowers, certain cosmetics, and medications requiring refrigeration.

We will not fund expenses already supported through other disaster grants or loans, such as the Disaster Assistance Loan or the Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loan, or damages or losses funded through insurance claims.

We will not fund goods, services or fees from related parties. Related parties include companies with common shareholdings or directors, mutual employees, or immediate family members.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for this grant, your business must:

• have less than 20 full-time equivalent employees at both the time of the disaster and the time of application
• have an annual turnover of less than $10 million
• have an active Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of the disaster
• be registered for GST at both the time of the disaster and the time of application
• be located in Ingham or surrounding areas at the time of the disaster and be able to demonstrate a direct operational impact from the de-energising of the Ingham substation
• have been trading immediately before being affected by the disaster
• have experienced a loss of power for 5 or more consecutive days, resulting in the loss of uninsured perishable goods
• be the holder of a business electricity account registered with a National Meter Identification (NMI) number in the Ergon Energy electricity distribution network.
• be reported by Ergon Energy, confirming that the premises experienced a power outage for more than 5 consecutive days due to the de-energising of the Ingham substation
• provide details and copies of relevant insurance policies and claims. If eligible to claim losses under insurance, you must finalise this claim before applying for assistance
• not have received approval for funding under the Exceptional Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants – North and Far North Tropical Low
• provide satisfactory evidence of the stock loss being claimed, and proof of payment of replacement costs
• be primarily responsible for meeting the costs claimed in the application
• demonstrate an intent to continue (or have continued) in business after the disaster event
• not be insolvent or under external administration
• not have owners/directors that are undischarged bankrupt.

If you are a sole trader and your business has no employees other than yourself, you must derive the majority of your income from the affected business.

Check your eligibility

Use the eligibility checker before you apply. You can also review the application guidelines for further information.

Application process

You must submit your application through the SmartyGrants portal.

To apply, you must provide all necessary supporting information and evidence, including:

• a completed 100 point identification check form or certified copies of identification documents totalling 100 points, witnessed by an authorised person (e.g. Justice of the Peace, Commissioner for Declarations or solicitor)
• evidence of disaster impact, such as 5 to 10 photographs or other substantiating documentation
• proof of payment for replacement stock, such as paid invoices
• insurance documentation, including copies of insurance policies and applications and outcomes of related claims.

Apply now

Lodging an application does not guarantee that funding will be approved. Applications will be assessed, and decisions will be made as soon as practicable, usually within 2-3 weeks of submission. Your application may be deemed ineligible if you haven't provided enough information and supporting documentation. We may request further information to help assess your application.

Only the business owner can submit the application. We will not accept applications or responses submitted by third parties. Only submit realistic and probable answers and evidence in your application—you may be required to provide this at any time at our discretion.

If you operate more than one small business, for example, under a single ABN at separate locations, you may apply for assistance for each eligible separate business up to the maximum amount of assistance available.

Successful applicants

Funding agreement and payment

If successful, you must enter into a funding agreement with us to receive funding of up to $25,000 (excluding GST). Funding is paid when you accept the funding agreement.

The funding agreement consists of:

• the letter of agreement
• any other terms agreed in writing between the parties
• the terms and conditions
• the application guidelines
• the submitted application.

Surveys

You must provide an outcomes survey within 3 months of receiving funds. You will receive an email when the survey is available for completion in SmartyGrants.

More information

For more information about the program, read the key documents and information:

• application guidelines
• terms and conditions
• sample application form.

View our small business grants schedule to learn what other support you may be eligible for. You may also be able to access other natural disaster payments and financial help.

Subscribe to the Business Queensland Connect newsletter for the latest information for Queensland small businesses.

Contact us

For further information about the program email disastergrants@desbt.qld.gov.au or contact the Small Business Hotline on 1300 654 687.

Check your eligibility

To be eligible for this grant, your business must meet the eligibility criteria and other conditions of the program.