St George offering $100,000 to support Australia’s brightest business ideas 

ST GEORGE is calling for nominations from entrepreneurs and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) across NSW, Queensland and the ACT to enter its Kick Start program to win a share of a $100,000 grant to help start their business or bring an idea for their existing business to life.

The St George Kick Start program is a pitch competition where 12 finalists battle it out on stage at the TEDxSydney event on May 22 for a chance to win one of two $40,000 grants and two $10,000 runner-up grants. 

Anthony Mathews, national Head of SME Banking for S George said, “Growing a small business or getting your business idea off the ground is no easy feat, particularly when it comes to funding.  

“Even if you have that moment of inspiration, SMEs and entrepreneurs can find themselves unable to bring their ideas to life without access to funds. Through the St George Kick Start program, we hope we can help provide a platform that gives them the chance to receive funding and turn their dreams into a reality.”

Jo Palmer, founder of Pointer Remote Roles – a remote workforce specialist company – won the ‘fast pitch’ Kick Start program in 2019 and used the business grant to hire her first full-time employee.

“Winning the $40,000 grant allowed me to scale my business, which I’d never thought was possible," Ms Palmer said. "Thanks to the Kick Start program we’ve been able to help more companies connect with the talent they need in their business, remotely.

"An increase in jobs has meant talented professionals who live in rural Australia have been able to access the same jobs as those in the city. This has created incredible opportunities for those in rural areas impacted by ongoing drought and the recent bushfires,” Ms Palmer said. 

How to enter Kick Start 2020 

Applications are now open to businesses across NSW, Qld and ACT and will close at 11.59pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (ADST) on Monday 23 March 2020.

Businesses can enter in one of two categories:

• Category 1. A New Business Idea. Business that have recently launched or are about to launch. For those not yet trading, solid plans must be in place.
• Category 2. An Idea to Grow an Existing Business. For businesses that have been operating and trading for at least 18 months and want to diversify or grow.

For more information on the St George Kick Start program and how to apply, visit https://www.stgeorge.com.au/business/kickstart 

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