The maximum size of the loan your business or organisation is eligible for depends on the number of full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) employed. The loan amount is a base rate of $20,000 per firm, plus $1,800 per FTE (up to 50 FTE).
To find out the number of FTEs employed by your business or organisation, you'll need to know how many full-time and part-time employees you have.
- An employee working 20 hours or more per week is considered full-time and counts as 1 FTE.
- An employee working up to 20 hours per week is considered part-time and counts as 0.6 FTEs.
The sum of your FTEs is rounded up to the nearest whole number and is measured at the time you apply.
Receiving the Small Business Cashflow Scheme loan
From 21 March 2022 the maximum loan size is $110,000 and for sole traders the maximum loan amount will be $21,800.
When you apply for the loan, we will offer your business or organisation a maximum loan amount. For loans applied for from 21 March 2022 you can either draw down the maximum loan amount as a lump sum or take the loan in up to 4 separate amounts (up to the maximum loan amount) which must be drawn down before 31 December 2023.
Receiving a top-up loan
If you are an existing borrower and already have a SBCS loan that was applied for before March 2022 (and have not defaulted on this loan) you may be able to apply for a top up loan. The amount of the top up loan is $10,000, plus any amount which was available at the time of taking your existing SBCS loan which you did not take at the time. The top up loan can be drawn down as a lump sum or as up to 4 separate amounts (up to the maximum loan amount) before the end of the scheme on 31 December 2023.
The top up loan is a separate loan from your existing SBCS loan and has its own 5-year term and 2-year interest free period. The same eligibility criteria apply to the top-up loan.
You are not eligible for a top up loan (including further drawdowns) if you have defaulted on any previous SBCS loan, even if the default has been remedied to the Commissioner’s satisfaction.
Borrowing one more time
If you've had a loan and repaid it in full before the end of 2023, you may be able to borrow 1 more time. Your business or organisation will need to meet the eligibility criteria at the time you apply to re-borrow.
Your business or organisation will not be eligible for a second loan if there was an event of default on an earlier loan. This rule applies even if we're satisfied the default was not deliberate or has been sorted out to our satisfaction. Your business or organisation is not eligible to draw down an amount that has already been repaid.
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