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Starting and Growing Your Business

There is a range of business assistance programs available to help you set up and develop your business.

Canberra BusinessPoint

Canberra BusinessPoint is the ACT Government's business mentoring and advisory service. It provides business operators in the ACT region with advice and support in the establishment, operation and development of their business. > More

ACT Government Business Grants and Assistance

The ACT Government offers a range of programs to fund specific projects and activities that assist business development:

Lighthouse—Unleashing Your Innovation Potential

The Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre is a new joint initiative between the ACT Government and the Canberra private sector. The centre is being positioned to:

attract both high-growth business and early stage investment opportunities from existing local industry, research institutions and individual entrepreneurs in ICT and creative design sectors.
provide the 'heavy lifting' advisory service function required for the development of 'investment-ready' companies. The 'heavy lifting' being addressed through servicing the specific needs of individual enterprises to make them viable business and investment prospects.
act as a focal point, or hub, in partnership with other institutional players in the ACT innovation system, to provide a continuum of services that can assist at every stage of business development.

Other assistance programs are listed below:

ACT Business Licence Information Service

The ACT Business Licence Information Service (ACT BLIS) lets you deal with the ACT Government through a single point of access. It provides you with a quick, convenient way to find the complete range of business licences, registrations, permits and approvals you need to set up a business in Canberra.

BLIS telephone operators are also available to answer your questions on ACT and Commonwealth business licences.

Phone (Toll Free): 1800 244 650 (freecall within Australia) between the hours of 8 am to 8 pm Monday to Friday and 9 am to 5 pm Saturday.

ANU Connect

This local commercialisation investment fund evaluates commercialisation opportunities, makes funding recommendations, forms new companies and provides funding for selected proof-of-concept research. ANU Connect also assists with the development of business plans, oversees the growth of its investment companies, and markets these companies or their Intellectual Property to international business.

Australian Small Scale Offerings Board

The Australian Small Scale Offerings Board provides a platform for direct investment into some of Australia’s most exciting unlisted companies.

Business Loan Finder

Many businesses find it difficult to make sense of the large number of business finance products and to meaningfully compare them. The Business Loan Finder allows small businesses to quickly compare and rank loans by their true monthly cost. The tool is an initiative of the Victorian Government but is intended to be used nationally as finance searches can be customised by jurisdiction.

To access the Business Loan Finder, click: Here.

Business Reference Service

This service provided by ACT Libraries focuses on the provision of information services to the small business sector in the ACT region.

Capital Angels

This is a private investor angel network that provides a forum for investors to proactively support Canberra and the region’s entrepreneurs. The members of Capital Angels make individual investment decisions based on their own assessments of the opportunity presented through their regular, formal meetings with potential companies and entrepreneurs.

Canberra Business Development Fund

This venture capital fund was formed through a joint venture between the ACT Government and Australian Capital Ventures Limited, which acts as the fund manager. The fund is designed to provide eligible businesses located in the Canberra region with a source of capital funds through equity investment. > More

Home-Based Business

If you're running a home-based business there are a wide range of government requirements that may apply to you. Things to consider when running a small business from home include planning and land use approval, taxation, employment, and licensing. > More

Industry Capability Network (ACT)

The Industry Capability Network (ACT) is part of an Australian-New Zealand (ANZ) network, promoting business opportunities for buyers and sellers of ANZ value-added goods and services. It assists buyers to locate supplies of goods and services and acts as an advocate in maximising their business opportunities. > More

InnovationACT

InnovationACT was originally conceived by a group of PhD students as a way to enable the flow of information and resources between academia and industry. > More

Market Research and Statistics

To run a successful business you need to know all about your potential and existing customers and the marketplace you operate in > More

Other Useful Sites

AusIndustry

Provides a range of incentives for Australian business to foster investment and become more innovative and internationally competitive.

Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC)

The AIRC is an independent, national tribunal dealing with employment issues including:

industrial dispute resolution;
unfair and unlawful resolution;
awards; and
industrial action.