CCIQ's entry in the Association Awards - Association external campaign of the year 2021
Close to half a million Queensland businesses have access to $2.3 billion in COVID relief grants, loans, tax relief and fee waivers and deferrals through CCIQ and Queensland chamber advocacy efforts.
CCIQ’s strategy to support a resilient, diversified and competitive Queensland economy using transformational, sustainability led policy and advocacy allowed a systematic and sustained advocacy approach to support the economic recovery in Queensland.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 economic crisis in Queensland in March 2020, CCIQ has approached every Queensland MP, and State and Federal Government departments including the Premier’s office on behalf of Queensland SMEs to advocate for the need for economic relief for the state’s businesses financially and emotionally impacted through COVID. Advocacy efforts direct to government and via the media were sustained over the past 18 months and accelerated during the state’s four snap lockdowns this year.
CCIQ used the quarterly Pulse Survey, the state’s most established and comprehensive survey of business confidence, economic modelling, direct feedback from businesses and local chamber insight to campaign for a host of support packages to help businesses pay ongoing bills and overheads, maintain their commitment to staff and plan their long-term COVID economic recovery. The April 2020 #supportsmall campaign was aimed at promoting the importance, variety and innovation of small business while influencing consumers to #supportsmall. The campaign also encouraged large corporates to use local suppliers and staff incentives to spend in local small business, generating significant political and private enterprise support.
The result was the $1b COVID-19 Jobs Support Loans scheme in March 2020, 2021 COVID-19 Business Support Grants, cleaning rebates for exposure site businesses, payroll tax relief and fee refunds, deferrals and waivers including liquor licensing. It meant 7000 Queensland businesses were able to support 86,000 local jobs. Every eligible business impacted during the state’s fourth snap lockdown which applied would receive a grant of up to $25,000 to pay business expenses.
CCIQ’s advocacy efforts focused on the overall economic impact of COVID on the state’s small business economy. This included those not in lockdown but locked out from markets in other cities and states, businesses in remote or Far North Queensland and removed from South East Queensland hotspots by hundreds of kilometers and non-employing sole traders who were supporting themselves but also played a significant role in supply chains. Support was needed not only for those businesses forced to close in lockdowns, but businesses across the state who had to adapt and respond to COVID economic conditions and disruptions to business and consumer confidence, staff access, tourism and travel, supply chains, logistics and exports. We know supporting small businesses at the local level was essential to support the wider Queensland economy to get back to business.
Through CCIQ and Queensland Chamber advocacy efforts, Queensland businesses have been afforded among the most significant financial support packages in the nation, but we know there are still businesses struggling to pay their bills tomorrow, as well as plan their long-term recovery.
CCIQ was one of 13 shortlisted finalists nationally in the category. Read more about the Association Awards.