NSW Unveils $37M Small Business Advisory Program After Business Connect
Synopsis
The NSW government will replace the axed Business Connect program with a $37 million advisory service offering free specialist support to small businesses.
NSW Small Business Advisory will begin their first rollout on the 10th of September, with the Government allocating $37 million into the new program over four years, set to replace Business Connect.
The new advice and brokerage service for small businesses will start nine months after the program’s closure on the 30th of September 2025. It will be delivered face-to-face, by phone, and digitally, with the full service launching in February 2027.
The new service will undergo a 90-day review, with Mark Bouris AM leading it, supported by the Service NSW Business Bureau. It will meet the needs of NSW’s 890,000+ small businesses, providing jobs for 1.8 million people.
From Business Connect to a new service
Business Connect provided small businesses with expert business advice until the program’s end in September 2025, when funding would cease.
In the 2024-25 budget, the NSW Parliament announced that Business Connect reached 10,980 customers and provided 49,243 hours of 1-1 business advice in 2024-25. During the same time, 831 events were held, with 9,937 people attending.
In 2024-25, it received $8.8 million spent on Business Connect, which had been allocated $10.2 million from the NSW Budget and is set to spend $8.6 million spent in 2023-24, which was allocated $10.2 million.
The new NSW Small Business Advisory service will commence in regional areas, providing advice and brokerage for multicultural business needs, as well as networking opportunities and AI-related advice, with the Service NSW Business Bureau leading it, the Government stated.
AI enters the advisory mix
The new initiative will see to the growing need for AI-related business advisory as many small and medium-sized Australian businesses are quick to adopt emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
The National AI Centre released their latest SME AI Pulse report, finding that 44% of Australian SMEs were using AI in their operations as of February 2026. For the December 2025-February 2026 quarter, the adoption rate was at 43%, compared to 45% for the same period last year.
It will address not only the current needs of small businesses in NSW but also look to provide solutions for emerging fields like AI and remain a business-focused Government entity.
The investment in the new NSW Business Connect will be allocated in the 2026-27 NSW Budget.
Source: Smart Company
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
