Last night’s Brookvale Pitch Club was an exciting event, bringing together some of the region’s most promising entrepreneurs and business minds. As part of my support for the innovation and startup community, I provided one of the prizes for the competition – access to my time and expertise for free.

After a series of compelling pitches, the winner of the night who selected my prize was Shrikant Prasad from ShaBass, whose innovative business idea impressed both the judges and the audience. I have seen Skrikant pitch previously and great to see him develop and refine his pitch, especially as this was with no slide deck.

Congratulations to Shrikant Prasad and all the participants who showcased their ideas.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

Excited to be part of the Plus 8 Innovation Festival, March 28 at the Western Sydney Startup Hub. This will be a day filled with learning, networking, and hands-on innovation. From gaining insider knowledge to securing crucial funding, this festival is the perfect place to accelerate your startup’s journey!

🚀 During the event take part in expert-led sessions on investment, pitching, AI & no-code, leadership, and community-driven growth. Plus, connect with investors and mentors during exclusive speed networking sessions.

You will find me either as part of the speed networking session, or on the Realise Business stand showing how you and your business can get access to free and subsidised business advice courtesy of both the NSW and Federal Governments. Come and say hi.

And you can use the code Wayne for 50% off your ticket! Secure your spot here

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

Last night I experienced the highs and lows of working with and supporting small business in Australia.

The night started great with the highs of being in a room full of people, working collectively to support small business and innovation in Australia at an event organized by Investment NSW.  Whilst that was going on, the The Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP, Treasurer released the 2025-26 Federal budget.  And despite the Government stating they were backing small business, a look at the budget papers revealed that this was not small business friendly budget.  Hence why my highs of an hour earlier turned quickly into lows.

Here are some of the things that I noticed when looking at the 2025-26 Federal Budget papers.

The 2025-26 Budget Strategy and Outlook (the main budget paper) mentions “small business” just 26 times out of 363 pages.  The 2023-24 and 2024-25 equivalent budget papers at least mentioned “small business” 27 and 46 times respectively.

The main positive for small businesses with a power bill (which is not all small businesses) will get an additional $150 in credits applied to their power bill next year.

First Nations businesswomen and entrepreneurs will gain access to $3.4m in over 3 years for business coaching and mentoring program.

Hospo venues get some relief as indexation on certain alcohol duties gets suspended for a period of time.

And yes, there will be around $14m spent on bureaucrats to reduce rede tape and support small business.

But that’s where I see the positives end.  Then come the downsides.

The biggest I feel is around what is not in this budget.  The $20,000 instant asset write-off scheme has not been extended beyond June 30 2025.

Another one is around the banning of non-compete clauses in employment contracts.  The budget papers say this will increase average wages by $2,500 per year – to be paid for by business owners.  And there is the impact on your business, which depending on how the laws are written, as one economist gleefully stated “you absolutely don’t want to be able to stop departing workers from trying to poach your clients and your staff”.  Just what business owners want to hear, staff stealing clients without any restriction.

And there are no new measures I can see to support small business deal with the never-ending red tape they have to deal with and provide some incentive for people to actually invest in their business.

Overall, the 2025-26 Federal Budget sets a fairly low bar for other parties to step over if they want to win the votes of the small business community.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

Join me at the Brookvale Pitch Club on 26 March 2025.

Great night at Dad & Dave-s Brewing from 5.30pm for a great night of pitches & collaboration around food, drinks and great vibe 🍷🍕!

🤝 Be part of the action, cast your vote for your favorite pitcher and help them win prizes (one of which was donated by myself).

🤝 Hear from our panel of experts as they share valuable insights and advice to inspire and guide our pitchers.

Get your tickets here

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

Launched in March 2025, the Social Enterprise Loan Fund is a loan fund specifically designed for “social enterprises” supporting employment pathways.

For the purposes of the Social Enterprise Loan Fund, a social enterprise is a not-for-profit (or an Indigenous business) with deductible gift recipient (DGR) status.  A for-profit business with a social purpose (such as Thank You Water) is not eligible for this loan fund. 

Full Eligibility Rules

To be eligible for a Social Enterprise Loan Fund, there is a number of requirements you need to meet.  These include:

• Be a not-for-profit (or an Indigenous business) with deductible gift recipient (DGR) status, registered and operating in Australia for at least 2 years.
• Generate over 50% of your income from trade of at least $50,000 pa.
• Be either:
  • Social Traders certified
  • People and Planet First verified
  • Supply Nation registered
  • A member of your state’s peak social enterprise body
  • Have registered your interest with the relevant body for certification.
• Pay full award wages.
• Create jobs for people facing complex barriers to employment.
• Primarily employ and support individuals from at least one of these groups:
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • Adults aged 65 and over
  • Migrants, refugees, or asylum seekers
  • People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
  • Residents in rural, regional, or remote communities
  • People with disabilities
  • Individuals with recent or current experience of homelessness
  • Youth (aged 15 to under 25)
  • Other individuals with documented experiences of disadvantage not listed here
• Be able to demonstrate employment and support for people experiencing barriers to work through:
  • Independent evaluations
  • Participation in government programs (e.g., Skilling Queenslanders for Work, Disability Employment Services)
  • De-identified data on employees (e.g., numbers of employees from target cohorts, residence locations)
  • Qualitative or photographic evidence of employment and support initiatives
• Provide past and projected financial statements if available.
• Present a clear plan for how the loan will be used and the expected social and financial impact.
• Have a management team with strong dedication to the social mission and relevant experience.

Loan Terms

Loan amounts: From $100,000 to $500,000

Interest rates: As low as 6.5%

Terms: Up to 7 years

Flexible structure: Tailored to the unique needs of social enterprises

Learn More

Click here to learn more about the Social Enterprise Loan Fund and apply for a loan

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

The Defence Industry Development Grants Program will fund small to medium enterprises to build Australia’s sovereign capability, global competitiveness, technical superiority and national security.

There are four streams within the program, being:

• Sovereign Industrial Priorities (matched funding grants between $50,000 and $1,000,000) which aims to assist eligible SMEs to purchase manufacturing plant and equipment which is used directly to develop and/or deliver programs that are in-line with the Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs – see below). Click here to learn more.  Note current round closes 30 May 2025

• Exports (matched funding grants between $15,000 and $250,000) which aims to provide support for SMEs to overcome export barriers and help defence industry build scale and competitiveness in defence capability priority areas as identified by the SDIPs. Click here to learn more.  Note current round closes 30 April 2025.

• Security (matched funding grants between $10,000 and $100,000) which aims to support national security through the provision of Defence capability. Click here to learn more.  Note current round closes 30 April 2025.

• Skilling (matched funding grants between $5,000 and $250,000) which aims to support upskilling and / or retraining of staff in defence capability needs. Click here to learn more.  Note current round closes 31 March 2025.

Eligible Entities

To be eligible you:

• Must be an Australian entity that has an ABN and registered for GST and are non-income tax exempt. Note partnerships and individuals can’t apply.
• Must are a SME with less than 200 employees

Eligible Projects

You must complete your project by 31 March 2028 and your project must:

• be undertaken in Australia and completed in 18 months
• include eligible activities which vary by stream – refer to each stream.

Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs) in the Defence Industry Development Strategy

These priorities are:

• maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade (MRO&U) of Australian Defence Force aircraft
• continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment
• sustainment and enhancement of the combined-arms land system
• domestic manufacture of guided weapons, explosive ordnance and munitions
• development and integration of autonomous systems
• integration and enhancement of battlespace awareness and management systems
• test and evaluation, certification and systems assurance.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

The Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Sovereign Industrial Priorities Stream aims to assist eligible SMEs to purchase manufacturing plant and equipment which is used directly to develop and/or deliver programs that are in-line with the Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs – see below).

There are matched funding grants between $50,000 and $1m under this stream.

Eligible Entities

To be eligible you:

• Must be an Australian entity that has an ABN and registered for GST and are non-income tax exempt. Note partnerships and individuals can’t apply.
• Must are a SME with less than 200 employees

Eligible Projects

You must complete your project by 31 March 2028 and your project must:

• be undertaken in Australia and completed in 18 months
• include eligible activities (see below)

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities must have a clear and direct link to the grant opportunity objective and outcomes and can include buying, leasing, constructing, installing or commissioning of manufacturing plant and equipment, including directly related specialist software.   This may also include design, engineering and commissioning activities and workforce training and accreditations.

Leased plant or equipment must be for a lease period of at least 4 years.

Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs) in the Defence Industry Development Strategy

These priorities are:

• maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade (MRO&U) of Australian Defence Force aircraft
• continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment
• sustainment and enhancement of the combined-arms land system
• domestic manufacture of guided weapons, explosive ordnance and munitions
• development and integration of autonomous systems
• integration and enhancement of battlespace awareness and management systems
• test and evaluation, certification and systems assurance.

Learn More

To learn more about the Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Sovereign Industrial Priorities Stream click here.

Applications for the current round of this program closes 30 May 2025

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

The Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Security Stream aims to support national security through the provision of Defence capability.

The objectives of the Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Security Stream are to:

• uplift the security of the Australian defence industrial base to address the challenging strategic environment
• assist eligible SMEs to establish and maintain security accreditation / controls, in line with the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP)
• help Australian defence industry improve and maintain security in priority areas as identified by the Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs – see below).

There are matched funding grants between $10,000 and $100,000 under this stream.

Eligible Entities

To be eligible you:

• Must be an Australian entity that has an ABN and registered for GST and are non-income tax exempt. Note partnerships and individuals can’t apply.
• Must are a SME with less than 200 employees

Eligible Projects

You must complete your project by 31 March 2028 and your project must:

• be undertaken in Australia and completed in 18 months
• include eligible activities (see below)

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities must have a clear and direct link to the grant opportunity objective and outcomes and can include:

• Security uplift activities to attain Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) membership
• Employment of an inaugural eligible Security Officer by an eligible defence Tier 2 or Tier 3 defence industry supplier. Contracting arrangements or casual employment will not be considered as eligible
• Australian security clearance application and vetting fees
• Installation of business perimeter specialised security features such as bollards, razor wire, sensor lighting or surveillance cameras
• Installation of external and internal building digital access controls
• Installation and commissioning of facility surveillance cameras or sensors
• Cyber security gap analysis with formal report.
• Integration of two-factor or multi-factor authentication architecture.

Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs) in the Defence Industry Development Strategy

These priorities are:

• maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade (MRO&U) of Australian Defence Force aircraft
• continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment
• sustainment and enhancement of the combined-arms land system
• domestic manufacture of guided weapons, explosive ordnance and munitions
• development and integration of autonomous systems
• integration and enhancement of battlespace awareness and management systems
• test and evaluation, certification and systems assurance.

Learn More

To learn more about the Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Security Stream click here.

Applications for the current round of this program closes 30 April 2025

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

The Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Skilling Stream aims to support upskilling and / or retraining of staff in defence capability needs.

The objectives of the Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Skilling Stream are to:

• reduce barriers faced by small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the defence sector when upskilling or retraining staff
• develop skills within SMEs in the defence sector relevant to defence capability priority areas as identified by the Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs – see below).

There are matched funding grants between $5,000 and $250,000 under this stream.

Eligible Entities

To be eligible you:

• Must be an Australian entity that has an ABN and registered for GST and are non-income tax exempt. Note partnerships and individuals can’t apply.
• Must are a SME with less than 200 employees

Eligible Projects

You must complete your project by 31 March 2028 and your project must:

• be undertaken in Australia and completed in 18 months
• include eligible activities (see below)

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities must have a clear and direct link to the grant opportunity objective and outcomes and aimed at increasing Defence related technical skills capacity or capability within an eligible SME that is required to meet current or future defence capability needs.

It must be delivered by a registered training organisation, a tertiary education provider (University or TAFE), a professional training provider, an appropriately qualified employee in your business or an original equipment manufacturer.

Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs) in the Defence Industry Development Strategy

These priorities are:

• maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade (MRO&U) of Australian Defence Force aircraft
• continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment
• sustainment and enhancement of the combined-arms land system
• domestic manufacture of guided weapons, explosive ordnance and munitions
• development and integration of autonomous systems
• integration and enhancement of battlespace awareness and management systems
• test and evaluation, certification and systems assurance.

Learn More

To learn more about the Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Skilling Stream click here.

Applications for the current round of this program closes 31 March 2025

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

The Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Export Stream aims to provide support for SMEs to overcome export barriers and help defence industry build scale and competitiveness in defence capability priority areas as identified by the Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs se below).

The objectives of the Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Export Stream grant opportunity are to:

• assist eligible SMEs to purchase manufacturing plant and equipment which is used directly to develop and/or deliver defence export opportunities
• assist eligible SMEs to overcome export barriers
• help defence industry build scale and competitiveness in priority defence capability priority areas as identified by the Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs).

There are matched funding grants between $15,000 and $250,000 under this stream.

Eligible Entities

To be eligible you:

• Must be an Australian entity that has an ABN and registered for GST and are non-income tax exempt. Note partnerships and individuals can’t apply.
• Must are a SME with less than 200 employees

Eligible Projects

You must complete your project by 31 March 2028 and your project must:

• be undertaken in Australia and completed in 18 months
• include eligible activities (see below)

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities must have a clear and direct link to the grant opportunity objective and outcomes and can include:

• buying, leasing, constructing, installing or commissioning of manufacturing plant and equipment used directly to develop and/or deliver defence export opportunities.
• achieving international certifications/accreditations including new management certifications) needed to be export ready.
• other compliance requirements that are relevant to businesses operating in the defence sector:

Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs) in the Defence Industry Development Strategy

These priorities are:

• maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade (MRO&U) of Australian Defence Force aircraft
• continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment
• sustainment and enhancement of the combined-arms land system
• domestic manufacture of guided weapons, explosive ordnance and munitions
• development and integration of autonomous systems
• integration and enhancement of battlespace awareness and management systems
• test and evaluation, certification and systems assurance.

Learn More

To learn more about the Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Export Stream click here.

Applications for the current round of this program closes 30 April 2025

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052