Free food and fun under new NSW voucher scheme, but first, SMEs have to sign up

The NSW government hopes to encourage residents to spend on food and entertainment through its new voucher scheme, but not all businesses are eligible to participate and must sign up to the program.

The state pledged $500 million in its budget on Tuesday to the Out and About voucher scheme, which will give every resident over 18 years four vouchers, each valued at $25.

However, businesses must belong to an eligible industry and have a COVIDSafe plan in place to participate.

For businesses to be part of the scheme, they need to:

• Have a MyServiceNSW account;
• Operate in NSW in one of the eligible industries;
• Have a valid bank account; and
• Have an active Australian Business Number and be registered for Goods and Services Tax.

The NSW government is yet to officially confirm which industries can sign up, however, it is known vouchers will be restricted to venues that serve food as well those that offer entertainment, such as galleries, amusement parks, cinemas and theatres.

Businesses participating in the scheme will be able to register and manage their profile via MyServiceNSW.

Acknowledging the impact of COVID-19 on small business, NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said food, beverage, arts and recreation have been substantially hit.

“These investments will make a real difference to those businesses, but also get confidence back in our city and state,” Perrottet said.

South Australia and Tasmania have both launched their own voucher schemes, similar to the United Kingdom’s “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme, which it adopted in August.