The NSW government is facing renewed pressure to reverse its decision to axe the Business Connect program, as the Greens prepare to question the Treasurer in the state’s Parliament and the NSW Minister for Small Business agrees to meet with stakeholders.
The popular SME advisory program will officially end on September 30 after the Minns government opted not to renew funding in the 2025–26 state budget.
Since launching in 2017, Business Connect has provided over 60,000 small businesses with free, tailored advice.
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Greens to question NSW Treasurer over Business Connect cuts
The NSW Greens have joined the Opposition in calling for transparency and a reconsideration of the program’s removal.
In an email seen by SmartCompany, the office of Jenny Leong MP, the member for Newtown, said she intends to submit formal questions regarding Business Connect to the Treasurer for NSW during the August sitting of the state’s Parliament.
“At the next sitting [of] Parliament in August, our Office will submit Questions to the NSW Treasurer regarding the decision to defund the program, and what supports are going to be put in place to ensure the thousands of people who relied on the program can have access to accessible business advice,” the email said.
The office also noted it had received contact from other constituents concerned about the loss of Business Connect, describing it as a service that supported “thousands of new and small businesses across NSW”.
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NSW Small Business Minister to meet with Business Connect service providers
Business Connect providers were formally notified of the program’s closure in June. Since then, regular contact has continued between Service NSW and providers to assist with customer communications and exit planning.
While no public replacement has been announced, SmartCompany understands the Minister for Small Business Janelle Saffin has agreed to meet with providers in August following written concerns from several service delivery partners.
A spokesperson for Service NSW previously said the agency would continue to assist businesses through the Business Concierge platform, but industry groups have argued the offering lacks the local knowledge and specialist depth of Business Connect’s network of advisors.
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SmartCompany also understands internal consideration has been given to the broader support model, but no new advisory program has been confirmed to date.
Shadow Minister for Small Business Tim James previously told SmartCompany the removal of Business Connect risks leaving business owners “out in the cold” at a time of economic uncertainty and rising insolvency rates.
“What we should avoid at all costs is that gap… from the first of October, in which there is no support for business, no continuity, no effective handover from one program to another, no corporate knowledge that’s passed on,” James said.
“Every loss of a small business is the loss of the hopes and dreams of people — the owners, the operators, the founders — but also those working in it, those communities affected.”
SmartCompany contacted Minister Saffin office for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
