If you run a small business anywhere from Rockdale to Cronulla, there’s some good news sitting on the table right now. The NSW Government’s Small Business Technology Adoption Program has reopened for 2026, and businesses across the St George and Sutherland Shire region are eligible to apply for grants of up to $10,000 to upgrade their tech.

It’s one of those programs that sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. Plenty of local business owners have already benefited from earlier rounds, and if you haven’t looked into it yet, now’s the time.

What the Grants Actually Cover

The program is designed to help small businesses adopt new technology that improves how they operate day to day. We’re talking about things like:

• Point of sale and payment systems
• Online booking or ordering platforms
• Inventory and stock management tools
• Accounting and payroll software
• Website upgrades and e-commerce functionality
• Cybersecurity protections

The grants work on a matched funding basis, so the government covers up to 75% of the cost, and you put in the remaining 25%. For a $10,000 project, that means you’d contribute $2,500 out of pocket—which, for a lot of businesses, is a pretty reasonable investment when you consider what you’re getting.

Full program details are available through business.gov.au, which is also where you’ll find the application portal.

Who’s Eligible

To qualify, your business needs to:

• Be registered in NSW with a valid ABN
• Have fewer than 20 full-time equivalent employees
• Have been operating for at least 12 months
• Not have received funding from this program in the current financial year

That covers a huge chunk of the local business community. Whether you’re running a café on Kogarah’s Railway Parade, a physiotherapy practice in Miranda, or a trades business out of Gymea, you’re likely in the mix.

Sole traders are eligible too, which is worth noting because a lot of people assume these kinds of programs are only for businesses with staff.

Local Success Stories

We’ve spoken to a few local business owners who went through the program in previous rounds, and the results speak for themselves.

Tina Marchetti, who owns a hair salon in Hurstville, used a grant last year to set up an online booking system with automated reminders. She says no-shows dropped by about 35% in the first three months, and she’s spending far less time on the phone managing her calendar.

“I’d been meaning to sort it out for ages, but the cost always put me off,” she told us. “The grant made it a no-brainer.”

David Pham, who runs a small electronics repair shop in Rockdale, upgraded his invoicing and inventory software. Before the grant, he was tracking everything in spreadsheets that were “held together with duct tape and hope,” as he put it. The new system has cut his admin time roughly in half.

Over in Sans Souci, a family-owned seafood takeaway used the funding to build out online ordering for the first time. Their weekend order volume jumped noticeably within weeks of launching, and they’ve been able to manage it without hiring extra staff.

These aren’t massive corporate overhauls. They’re practical, targeted upgrades that make a real difference to how a small business runs.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online through business.gov.au. You’ll need to provide:

• Your ABN and business registration details
• At least one quote for the technology or service you’re proposing
• A short description of how the upgrade will benefit your business
• Proof that your business has been operating for 12 months or more

The application itself isn’t overly complicated, but it does pay to be specific. Vague proposals about “going digital” don’t tend to do well. The assessors want to see that you’ve identified a clear problem and have a practical solution in mind.

If you’re not sure where to start, SmartCompany has some solid guides on choosing the right tech for small businesses, and they regularly cover grant programs like this one.

Don’t Sleep on It

Previous rounds of this program have been oversubscribed, so it’s worth getting your application in sooner rather than later. The current round closes on March 28, 2026, and decisions are expected by late April.

Georges River Council and Sutherland Shire Council have both flagged the program to their local business networks, and council staff can help point you in the right direction if you need a hand with the application. Hurstville Library is also running drop-in sessions on Tuesday afternoons through February for anyone who wants face-to-face support.

For a lot of small businesses in our area, this kind of funding can be the difference between putting off a tech upgrade for another year and actually getting it done. If you’ve been sitting on the fence, it’s worth twenty minutes of your time to see if you qualify.