NSW Jobs Plus Program - Applications now live!
18 December 2020
In brief
In response to the hardships faced by businesses due to COVID-19 and the recent drought and bushfire crisis, the NSW Government recently announced the Jobs Plus Program to support organisations seeking to start or expand their business in NSW.
The Jobs Plus Program will provide various levels of assistance to eligible businesses if they achieve the threshold of creating at least 30 net new full time equivalent (FTE) jobs. The program has a target of creating 25,000 new jobs in NSW by reducing the cost of establishment, financial risk and increasing speed to the market of new business projects.
Eligible employers can apply for the Jobs Plus Program from 15 December 2020, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the Jobs Plus Program funding has been fully allocated or at 5pm on 30 June 2022, whichever occurs first.
In detail
Eligibility Criteria
The Jobs Plus Program is open to an employer who meets the following criteria:
- is committed to the creation of at least 30 new FTE jobs (net) in NSW to complete a new business project with hiring commencing before June 2022 and complete by 30 June 2024 is either :
- an ABN registered business with at least 20 FTE employees in Australia at the time of application, and operating for at least two years; or
- a foreign owned entity with at least 80 FTE employees globally providing written intent to establish a subsidiary or branch office in NSW through a physical presence, with staff located and paid in NSW; and
- is a revenue-generating business.
The Jobs Plus Program guidelines list the following as examples of eligible new business projects:
- Relocating a business operation from out-of-state or internationally to NSW;
- Establishment of an additional production line for an existing NSW business; and
- Onshoring of activity currently done overseas to a NSW location.
Assistance provided under the Jobs Plus Program
Successful applicants for the Jobs Plus Program are eligible for various levels of support, depending on the number of jobs created. This includes:
Jobs Plus Concierge Service |
Help for businesses to efficiently navigate government agencies and programs through a Jobs Plus Concierge Service. |
Payroll tax relief for up to four years |
Relief for up to a four-year period, for every new job created where a business has committed to create at least 30 net new jobs related to the new investment project. |
Subsidised training package rebates |
A rebate for the cost of providing training, apprenticeships or internships to NSW residents based on audited accounts of pre-approved outcomes. |
Enabling infrastructure rebates |
A rebate based on audited accounts of pre-approved outcomes, to subsidise the cost of connecting the new project to shared infrastructure. For example, to build new roads, utilities, data facilities, telecommunications, information technology, workspaces and capital equipment. |
Access to subsidised, short-term Government accommodation and spaces |
Short term (less than 12 months) access to free or subsidised government accommodation and spaces. |
Assistance with planning approvals in NSW |
This will include fast tracked planning approval pathways and advice, plus guidance on appropriate site selection to increase speed to market. |
At this stage, no further details have been provided by the NSW Government on the quantum of payroll tax relief or rebate packages.
Application process
Eligible employers can register online for the four stage application process.
The preliminary stage requires applicants to submit a high level overview of their new business project, including details such as estimated cost, benefits, and number of FTE jobs created in NSW. If invited to submit a detailed application, the applicant will be allocated a NSW Treasury relationship manager to assist in the preparation of a detailed business case.
Projects will be assessed according to selection criteria such as number of jobs created, deliverability, cost-benefit analysis and strategic alignment.
The Jobs Plus Program will be open for applications from 15 December 2020 to 30 June 2022 with a target to support 25,000 new jobs where job creation is initiated by 30 June 2022 and complete by 30 June 2024.
The takeaway
As the Jobs Plus Program is in its infancy, there is limited guidance available for employers on the financial impact of the Jobs Plus Program. We will provide further details on the economic benefit of the program’s payroll tax relief and training and infrastructure rebates as they are released.
Eligible employers can apply online now We recommend that any application carefully considers the NSW Government’s assessment criteria listed in the Jobs Plus Program guidelines, in order to maximise any funding granted.
Further details surrounding the Jobs Plus Program can be found on the NSW Government’s website.
