What does the Budget mean for your business?

Energy bill relief

The Government is extending the energy bill relief to 31 December 2025 for eligible small businesses to receive up to $150 in rebates directly off their bills.

Pausing indexation on draught beer excise

From August 2025, hospitality businesses will receive support from pausing indexation on the draught beer excise for two years.

Disaster‑affected support

The Government is providing $693.2 million co‑funded with the states and territories to support disaster‑affected small businesses and not-for-profits.

Supporting apprentices in the construction industry

From 1 July 2025, eligible apprentices in housing construction occupations will receive up to $10,000 in financial incentives over the course of their apprenticeships, encouraging more people into housing construction trades and providing apprentices with cost‑of‑living support.

Supporting employers of apprentices

Employers of apprentices in priority occupations may also be eligible for up to $5,000 as a Priority Hiring Incentive, which includes many occupations relevant to housing construction. These current settings for the Priority Hiring Incentive have been extended for an additional 6 months to 31 December 2025.

Free TAFE

The Government is investing to make permanent 100,000 Free TAFE places every year from 1 January 2027.

Indigenous Procurement Policy

$23.9 million will be invested to strengthen the Indigenous Procurement Policy to boost opportunities for First Nations businesses.

Place‑based business mentoring and coaching program

The Government is providing $3.4 million to establish a place‑based business mentoring and coaching program for First Nations businesswomen and entrepreneurs.

Franchising sector

Additional funding will be provided to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to strengthen regulatory oversight of the Franchising Code of Conduct, including extending protections from Unfair Contract Terms and Unfair Trading Practices.

Support for fresh produce suppliers

The Government is investing $2.9 million to assist fresh produce suppliers to understand and enforce their rights under the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct.

Electrical trades

There is an agreement between the Australian Government and state and territory governments to design a national licensing scheme for people in electrical trades. This will allow them to work seamlessly across state and territory borders without reapplying for a separate licence or paying additional fees.

Taking action to detect and prosecute illegal phoenixing

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will receive $3 million to identify and take enforcement action against those involved in illegal phoenixing conduct.

Expand the Shadow Economy Compliance Program

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will receive $155.5 million to extend and expand the Shadow Economy Compliance Program. This will enable the ATO to reduce shadow economy behaviour such as worker exploitation and under‑reporting of taxable income that allows non‑compliant businesses to undercut those doing the right thing.

Unfair Trading Practice protections

The Government is extending Unfair Trading Practice protections to small businesses to address the power imbalance when they engage with large businesses.

Banning non‑compete clauses

The Government will ban non‑compete clauses for low‑ and middle‑income workers. This will close loopholes in competition law that allow businesses to make arrangements that cap workers’ pay and conditions without the knowledge and agreement of affected workers, or block staff from being hired by competitors.

Australia’s business registers

$207 million will be invested to continue the stabilisation of Australia’s business registers and undertake targeted uplifts, including linking Director Identification Numbers to the Company Register.

Infrastructure projects

The Government will provide $17.1 billion over ten years for road and rail projects to improve our cities, regions and communities.

Buy Australian Campaign

To encourage consumers to buy Australian‑made products, the Government is providing $20 million to support Australian producers through the Buy Australian Campaign.

Social enterprises

The Government is contributing $1.2 million to jointly launch the Social Enterprise Loan Fund.

Supporting trade

This Budget will provide $16 million for a new Australia–India Trade and Investment Accelerator Fund.