Take a deep breath, everyone, because Austrade has released the final details of eligibility criteria for Round 2 of the COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program with applications opening yesterday, Sunday 02 May 2021.
Just in case you had all forgotten: The COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program provides ‘eligible travel agents, inbound tour operators and tour wholesalers with financial payments to assist these businesses to continue to trade and process refunds and credits to Australian consumers for travel they were unable to undertake due to the impacts of the pandemic.’
Round One (closed 13 March 2021): On 1 December, the Australian Government announced an initial round of $128 million for the program. Applications were open from 14 December 2020 to 13 March 2021.
In the first round, one-off payments ranged from a minimum payment of $1,500 to $100,000 depending on the turnover of the business. Exceptional circumstance claims continue to be assessed.
Round Two (applications open 2 May 2021): On 11 March 2021, the Australian Government announced a second round of $130 million to provide further assistance to travel agents and tour operators.
Under Round Two, grant payments will range from a minimum of $7,500 to a maximum of $100,000. Grants will be based on the eligible turnover amount as determined under Round One.
Who’s eligible?
- Businesses must meet all eligibility requirements from Round One and have received a Round One payment to be eligible for Round Two of the Program unless an exceptional circumstances decision applies.
- You must be able to declare that no part of the turnover figure used to calculate your Round One payment was based on TTV*.
- For businesses with a G1 figure of $500,000 or more, additional financial verification by Austrade will confirm that TTV was not the basis for your Round One payment.
When do applications open and close?
Applications for Round Two opened on Sunday 2 May 2021 and will be accepted up until 11:59 PM (AEDT) 12 June 2021.
How do I apply for Round Two?
Applications are to be submitted via Services Australia’s Business Hub.
Further information is available on the Services Australia website and via the Austrade Website.
For more information and an updated FAQ document for Round Two of the program, head to austrade.gov.au.