NSW Government Defunds Business Connect

Ending Critical Support for Small Businesses

For the past eight years, the Business Connect program has supported over 60,000 small businesses across NSW with free, tailored, independent, and confidential advice. In fact, all NSW governments, both Labour and Coalition, have provided this free, independent advisory service for over 30 years, in partnership with trusted local providers. However, as of 30 September 2025, the current NSW Government will end the program and replace it with a centralised business concierge service, a generic model that will lack the independent, tailored support delivered by trusted and experienced advisors.

With over 4,500 small businesses entering insolvency in the past year, the need for one-on-one advice is more urgent than ever. The concierge service will provide scripted responses and online resources, not real, practical help.

This decision breaks the promise of the NSW Small Business Charter — to support small businesses to start, grow and thrive.

“Without the support from Business Connect, we wouldn’t have had the clarity or confidence to take the steps we needed. The advisor didn’t just help us with our numbers — he helped us rediscover what our business could be.”
— Jason Robins Photography
A man with short dark hair, wearing a white shirt and black vest, is taking a photograph with a professional camera with a large telephoto lens outdoors.