Small Business Month, Funding Updates and Border Closure Survey

NSW Small Business Month

Murray River Council is partnering with local podcast ‘Spreading the Good Stuff’ to present a four-part conversation series for this year’s NSW Small Business Month Festival.

Spreading the Good Stuff is a podcast created by local business owners that shares stories of triumph, challenge, growth and change to empower regional men and women who want to thrive in their work, wellness, family and community. The Small Business Month podcasts showcase candid conversations with local business owners and feature helpful insights on how they do business and how they prosper through times of change.

Episode 2 shines a light on the quick thinking and fast manoeuvring by Zowie Crump at

The Art of Zowie Photography and Julianne Daly at Border Inn Hotel when COVID-19 hit earlier this year.

Podcasts are available for FREE download during the month of October. Tune in and leave us some feedback to help us celebrate the many hard-working, small businesses across our region.

All podcast links and related info can be found on council’s Your Say platform by clicking here

Murray River Council’s Small Business Month podcast series is proudly funded by the NSW Government.

Is your business disaster ready?

NSW Small Business Month calls on you to ‘Futureproof your business’. This means being aware of potential stressors and disruptors and planning now for what to do when disaster strikes. This year we’ve seen an unparalleled number of events happen in quick succession. They impacted large areas across the state highlighting the importance of being prepared for anything.

Download the free Get Ready Business toolkit from www.resilience.nsw.gov.au/prepare.html. It will help you prepare for emergencies and disasters in five simple steps.

Funding Closing Soon

NSW Clubgrants
The NSW Government's Clubgrants Category 3 Fund is now open for applications to support communities across NSW for building, renovation and fit-out of infrastructure. Funding is available for community, arts and cultural infrastructure, disaster readiness as well as sport and recreation infrastructure projects that assist communities with essential infrastructure and disaster readiness.

Infrastructure Grants can be used toward the costs of construction, alteration, renovation, completion and fit-out of buildings and community infrastructure.

Applications are due at 5pm on 12 October 2020.

Click here to find out more.

Community Grants Murray River Council
If you’re part of a community group or not-for-profit organisation you can now apply for Round 1 of Council’s 2020/21 Community Grants Program. The program offers financial support for various projects, equipment, events, exhibitions and performances which contribute positively to the Murray River Council community.

Applicants can apply for grants of up to $3,000 via the program up until 4.00pm on Monday 19 October 2020.

Click here to find out more

Transgrid Community Partnerships Program
The Community Partnerships Program is designed to benefit communities in areas where assets are located or under development. Through the program, Transgrid provide not-for profit organisations, community groups and public schools with funding to help deliver initiatives that will have a tangible and lasting impact on local communities.

Up to $5,000 per project is available and applications close on 2 November 2020.

Click here to find out more

Southern Border Small Business Grant
If your small business or not-for-profit has been impacted by the closure of the NSW and Victorian border, and it's located within a specified Local Government Area (LGA), you may be eligible for a southern border small business support grant of $5000 or $10,000.

This grant is designed to provide immediate, short-term cashflow assistance to small businesses, and to help small businesses adapt to the southern border movement restrictions. This grant can only be used for eligible costs from 8 July 2020, and only where no other government support is available.

Click here to find out more

For more grants and funding opportunities please check Murray River Council's website

Impacts of COVID-19 on local business – survey

378. behalf of the Murray region, Murray Regional Tourism are conducting a survey to gather critical information that can be used to advocate on your behalf, on both survival and recovery initiatives. Strong evidence and case studies, demonstrating the real impacts being felt by our local businesses, are vital to enable MRT and Local Governments to present to State Governments to seek the support required.

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey and please encourage others to do so also.

To access the survey, click here.

Australia Day Nominations - NOW OPEN

Do you know someone who deserves to be nominated in Murray River Council’s 2021 Australia Day Awards?

Now is the time to nominate!

It might be someone who has made a significant contribution to your town, a person or a group that has made some clever changes this year to ensure they continue their endeavours or someone who has excelled in their personal pursuits. Now more than ever we should recognise the amazing efforts of individuals and groups in the community- so we encourage you to nominate them for an Australia Day Award.

The nomination process is simple- you just need to tell us why they deserve an award. Easy!

You can nominate in the following categories:

• Citizen of the Year
• Young Citizen of the Year
• Sportsperson of the Year
• Young Sportsperson of the Year
• Community Event of the Year
• Community Group of the Year
• Arts/Cultural Award (person or group)

You can nominate online here

Nominations close 6 November 2020.

Should you require any help or assistance, please contact the Economic Development Team on 1300 087 044