Regional Business Improvement Program

Incomplete applications and/or applications received after the closing date will not be considered

Applications must be submitted before 4pm on 16 January 2026. 

Before completing this application form, you must read the Program Guidelines available on the NSW Grants and Funding website.

Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Your application is not officially submitted for consideration until you click 'Review and Submit' at the end of the application form.

Acceptance of late submissions will be at the sole discretion of the Department. 

Once submitted you cannot reopen your application. 

If you require assistance completing this application, please contact economic.programs@dpird.nsw.gov.au and quote the application ID number in the email subject line.

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Purpose 

The purpose of the Regional Business Improvement Program – Business Audits (the Program) is to implement a targeted continuous improvement audit program that supports small to medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) manufacturers across regional NSW. By delivering structured audits to selected businesses, the program aims to identify opportunities for operational improvement, build internal capability and foster long-term competitiveness.

This initiative aligns with the NSW Government’s commitment to strengthening regional manufacturing through enhanced efficiency, resilience and readiness for advanced technologies, ultimately contributing to broader economic development and job retention in regional communities.

Objectives and outcomes

The objective of the Program is to help SME manufacturers in regional NSW identify and implement continuous improvement/lean principles in their business operations to drive efficiency and productivity improvements.

The Program is offering:

· An audit of select SME manufacturers to identify the requirements and expected costs to implement continuous improvement/lean principles in their business operations to drive efficiency and productivity improvements. The audit will investigate the potential for efficiency improvements in each business through the adoption of lean principles.

The target outcomes of the Program are to:

· Accelerate regional economic growth and diversification by enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of SME manufacturers, supporting job creation and investment attraction.

· Strengthen regional manufacturing ecosystems by building capability for advanced manufacturing, improving supply chain resilience and positioning NSW regions as hubs for innovation and high-value production.

Intended recipients

The intended recipients of the Program are small to medium-sized manufacturers (with between 10 and 200 full-time equivalent employees) that have an operating manufacturing facility in regional NSW.

The Applicant acknowledges and agrees that:

• submission of this application does not guarantee funding will be granted for any project, and the department expressly reserves its right to accept or reject this application at its discretion;
• it must bear the costs of preparing and submitting this application and the department does not accept any liability for such costs, whether or not this application is ultimately accepted or rejected; and
• it has read the Funding Guidelines for the Program and has fully informed itself of the relevant program requirements.

By submitting this application form, the Applicant acknowledges and agrees that:

• if this project application is successful, the relevant details of the project will be made public, including details such as the names of the organisation (Applicant) and any partnering organisation (state government agency or non-government organisation), project title, project description, location, anticipated time for completion and amount awarded;
• the department will use reasonable endeavours to ensure that any information received in or in respect of this application which is clearly marked ‘Commercial-in-confidence’ or ‘Confidential’ is treated as confidential, however, such documents will remain subject to the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) (GIPA Act); and
• in some circumstances the department may release information contained in this application form and other relevant information in relation to this application in response to a request lodged under the GIPA Act or otherwise as required or permitted by law.

The department will monitor the projects against the purpose and objectives of the program.

Successful applicants will be required to participate in evaluation, such as surveys and reporting.