Moving a business is expensive. Between removalist costs, fit-out work, new signage, marketing for a new address, and the general disruption of packing everything up, a relocation can easily run into tens of thousands of dollars before you have served a single customer from the new site. The City of Perth’s Business Relocation Grant exists to take some of that financial pressure off businesses that choose to relocate into the City of Perth local government area.
This guide explains exactly how the grant works, who qualifies, how much you could receive, and what to prepare before you apply.
What Is the Business Relocation Grant?
The Business Relocation Grant is a City of Perth council program that reimburses a portion of the costs involved in moving an established small to medium business into the City of Perth local government area. It is not designed for brand new businesses just starting out. It is designed for businesses that already exist and are already trading somewhere else, and have decided that relocating into the City of Perth makes sense for their growth or their customers.
There are two separate streams under this grant, and which one applies to you depends on the type of lease you are taking on at your new location.
The Two Funding Streams
The Commercial Lease stream is for businesses taking on a commercial lease. Funding starts at a minimum of $5,000 (excluding GST) for businesses with at least three full-time equivalent employees, and the maximum reimbursement is $50,000 (excluding GST). The maximum increases by $1,000 for every full-time equivalent employee above five, which means larger employers relocating into the City of Perth can access a larger grant.
The Retail Lease stream is for businesses taking on a retail lease, and covers businesses operating in retail, hospitality, tourism, or entertainment. Funding starts at a minimum of $5,000 (excluding GST) for businesses with at least two full-time equivalent employees, with a maximum reimbursement of $20,000 (excluding GST).
In both streams, the minimum funding threshold is tied to a minimum employee headcount, so a genuinely small operation with only one person working in the business is unlikely to meet the threshold for either stream.
Who Can Apply
To be eligible, your business generally needs to meet the following requirements.
You must be a legally constituted entity with an Australian Business Number (ABN). You need to be relocating from outside the City of Perth local government area into it. This grant is specifically designed to attract businesses into the City of Perth, not to fund a business that is already based there moving to a different address within the same council boundary.
You need to secure a minimum three-year lease, or an equivalent ownership arrangement, at your new City of Perth location. The council wants to see a genuine, longer-term commitment to the area, not a short-term pop-up that might leave again in twelve months.
You need to provide evidence of financial viability, and you need to meet the employee threshold for whichever stream you are applying under: at least three full-time equivalent employees for the Commercial Lease stream, or at least two full-time equivalent employees for the Retail Lease stream, where that stream also requires your business to operate in retail, hospitality, tourism, or entertainment.
Who Cannot Apply
New businesses are excluded from this grant. Because the program is designed to reimburse the costs of relocating an existing, already-trading operation, a business that is only just starting up does not fit the eligibility criteria, even if it technically has a new lease in the City of Perth.
Co-working space arrangements are excluded, which makes sense given the grant is built around a dedicated commercial or retail lease rather than a shared or flexible workspace membership.
Government departments and political parties are excluded, consistent with most commercial-focused council grants.
If your business has outstanding debts owed to the City of Perth, or is currently in a legal dispute with the council, you will not be eligible until that situation is resolved.
What the Grant Covers
The Business Relocation Grant is designed to reimburse the practical, tangible costs of physically moving your business. Covered costs generally include:
Refurbishment and fit-out work needed to get your new premises ready for business. Security improvements at the new location. Removalist costs for physically transporting equipment, stock, and furniture. Professional services directly related to the relocation, which can include costs like legal or consulting fees tied to the move itself. External property upgrades at the new site. Marketing costs associated specifically with promoting your new location to customers.
Because this is a reimbursement grant, you need to be prepared to pay these costs yourself first and then claim back the eligible portion afterward, rather than receiving funds upfront to cover them.
Key Dates
The 2026-27 round of the Business Relocation Grant opened on 1 April 2026 and is scheduled to close on 31 March 2027. As with most council matched-funding and reimbursement grants, it is worth checking directly with the City of Perth’s Sponsorship and Grants team on current fund availability before you commit to a lease, since budget-limited programs like this one can be exhausted before the official closing date if demand is strong.
How to Apply
The application process starts with a consultation, not a form. You are required to first consult with a City of Perth Sponsorship and Grants Officer before submitting a formal application. This initial conversation is where you can confirm which stream applies to your business, check that your planned lease arrangement meets the minimum term requirement, and get early feedback on whether your relocation plan fits the program’s intent.
Once that consultation is complete, applications are submitted through the City of Perth’s SmartyGrants online portal.
What You Will Need to Prepare
Before your consultation, it helps to have the following ready:
Proof of your current business operations, showing that you are an established, already-trading business rather than a new start-up. Details of your planned new lease in the City of Perth, including the term length, to confirm it meets the three-year minimum. Your current and projected employee headcount in full-time equivalent terms, since this determines which stream you fall under and what your maximum grant amount could be. An estimate of your expected relocation costs across categories like fit-out, removalist fees, security, and marketing. Evidence of financial viability, which may include recent financial statements. Your ABN and business registration details.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most common mistake is assuming a brand new business can apply simply because it happens to be opening its first premises inside the City of Perth. This grant funds relocation of an existing operation, not the establishment of a new one, and a new business will not meet the eligibility criteria regardless of how promising it looks.
Another frequent issue is applicants under-counting or over-counting their full-time equivalent employees, which can push a business into the wrong funding tier, or out of eligibility altogether if the minimum headcount is not met. Work this figure out carefully and be ready to substantiate it.
Businesses sometimes also sign a lease before checking whether it meets the three-year minimum term, only to find out afterward that their arrangement does not qualify. Confirm the lease term requirement during your initial consultation, before you commit to signing anything.
Finally, because the grant reimburses costs rather than paying them upfront, some applicants assume the funding will help with the immediate cash flow pressure of a move. It will not. You need to be in a position to fund the relocation costs yourself and then claim the eligible portion back afterward.
How Competitive Is This Grant
Like the City of Perth’s other matched and reimbursement grants, the Business Relocation Grant operates within a fixed annual budget and is assessed on a rolling basis rather than through a single comparative judging round. This means timing matters. A well-prepared application from a genuinely eligible, already-established business, with a clear lease arrangement and realistic cost estimates, is likely to move through the process more smoothly than an application submitted late in the round once funds may be running low, or one that has not clearly addressed the eligibility requirements around headcount and lease term.
Related Funding Worth Knowing About
If your relocation plans involve upgrading the look of your new premises once you are there, it is worth knowing the City of Perth also runs a separate Business Improvement Grant for facade, lighting, and outdoor dining upgrades, which could complement a relocation once you have settled into your new site. It is also worth checking what broader small business support exists across Western Australia and specifically within Perth, since state-level and other local programs sometimes stack usefully alongside council-level funding like this.
A Quick Way to Check Where You Stand
If you are weighing up this grant against other current options, Grants Assist’s online eligibility assessment tool gives you a quick, roughly one-minute check against the broad scope of current programs. It is a useful starting point before a full application, though it remains a general preliminary check rather than a detailed assessment of your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business that is just starting up apply for the Business Relocation Grant?
No. The grant is designed to reimburse relocation costs for an already-established, already-trading business moving into the City of Perth, not to fund the establishment of a brand new business.
What is the difference between the Commercial Lease stream and the Retail Lease stream?
The Commercial Lease stream applies to businesses with at least three full-time equivalent employees, with funding up to $50,000 that increases with additional employees above five. The Retail Lease stream applies to retail, hospitality, tourism, or entertainment businesses with at least two full-time equivalent employees, with funding up to $20,000.
Do I need to have already signed a lease before applying?
You need to consult with the City of Perth’s Sponsorship and Grants team and confirm your lease arrangement meets the minimum three-year term requirement. It is strongly advisable to do this consultation before finalising your lease, so you do not commit to an arrangement that later turns out to be ineligible.
Does the grant cover the cost of my removalist?
Yes. Removalist costs for physically transporting equipment, stock, and furniture are listed as an eligible expense under this grant.
Is co-working space eligible for this grant?
No. Co-working space arrangements are specifically excluded, since the grant is built around a dedicated commercial or retail lease.
Want to keep exploring your options? Grants Assist’s online portal gives you access to detailed, regularly updated information on grants and assistance programs across Australia. Explore the Grants Assist portal to browse more programs like this one, or call us on 1300-005-999 to speak with one of our advisors.
