Social media corporation Facebook has opened applications for small business grants to businesses in Australia that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Small businesses in Sydney and Melbourne are eligible to apply for cash grants and advertising credits as part of the program worth US$100 million.

The program will support about 30,000 businesses in more than 30 countries and is expected to assist approximately 465 Australian businesses.

Facebook is offering about $3 million in grants to Australian businesses, whereby successful applicants will each receive $6,400, including $4,000 in cash and $2,400 in optional advertising credits.

To be eligible for the grants, Australian businesses must meet the following criteria:

• Have between two and 50 employees as of January 1, 2020;
• Have been in business for over one year;
• Be a for-profit business;
• Be based in Sydney or Melbourne, where Facebook has offices in Australia; and
• Have experienced challenges due to COVID-19.

Businesses are not required to have a Facebook presence to apply for the grants, but they will be required to provide a business registration extract from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

Applications for the Facebook Small Business Grants Programme in Australia will close on September 22, 2020.

For more information and to apply, visit Facebook’s small business grants information page.