St.George is calling for nominations from entrepreneurs and small-businesses NSW, QLD and ACT to enter its Kick Start program to win a share of a $100,000 grant to help start their business or bring an idea for their existing business to life.

The program is a pitch competition that pits 12 finalists against one another at TEDxSydney on 22 May 2020 for a chance to win two $40,000 grants and two $10,000 runner-up grants.

“Growing a small business or getting your business idea off the ground is no easy feat, particularly when it comes to funding,” St.George national head of SME banking Anthony Mathews says.

“Even if you have that moment of inspiration, SMEs and entrepreneurs can find themselves unable to bring their ideas to life without access to funds. Through the St.George Kick Start program, we hope we can help provide a platform that gives them the chance to receive funding and turn their dreams into a reality.”

In this past year’s competition, Pointer Remote Roles founder Jo Palmer won the ‘fast pitch’ Kick Start program and used it to hire her first full-time employee.

“Winning the $40,000 grant allowed me to scale my business, which I’d never thought was possible. Thanks to the Kick Start program we’ve been able to help more companies connect with the talent they need in their business, remotely,” she says.

“An increase in jobs has meant talented professionals who live in rural Australia have been able to access the same jobs as those in the city. This has created incredible opportunities for those in rural areas impacted by ongoing drought and the recent bushfires.”

Applications are now open to businesses and will close at 11.59pm ADST on Monday 23 March 2020. The two categories people can enter under are category one, a new business idea and category two, an idea to grow an existing business.