For client groups
For people with disability
If you are a job seeker with disability, self-employment may offer you the flexibility you need for a successful return to work. In the 2006-07 year, almost 500 people with disability commenced NEIS businesses – that’s more than eight per cent of all NEIS commencements for the year.
You can read about other people with disability who have successfully started NEIS businesses on our Success Stories page.
All NEIS providers have accessible premises and training facilities, and can supply additional assistance where needed, such as facilities for people with vision or hearing impairment.
If you do decide you’d like to be your own boss with the help of the NEIS programme, you will have a very good likelihood of success. Research has shown that 76.7 per cent of people with disability who commenced NEIS were still employed three months after exiting NEIS (i.e. 15 months after starting their NEIS business), with 64.8 per cent self-employed and 11.9 per cent finding other employment. This is only slightly below the success rate for the overall NEIS programme of 84.5 per cent. #
# Labour Market Assistance Outcomes Report, year ending June 2007
Workplace Modification Scheme
In addition to the training and mentoring provided through the NEIS programme, you may also be eligible for assistance through the Workplace Modification Scheme, which provides financial assistance for the cost of modifications and adjustments that may be needed in your workplace. Provided other eligibility criteria are met, self-employed people who work a minimum of 20 hours per week and provide evidence of an ABN are eligible for assistance. Modifications might include:
- accessibility or workstation modifications at your place of business, where these are directly related to your work
- specialised equipment, software or communication technology
- vehicle modification, where your employment is primarily associated with the use of transport.
To find out if you are eligible for assistance through the Workplace Modification Scheme, check the guidelines at www.jobaccess.gov.au or contact a JobAccess Adviser on 1800 464 800.
For sole parents and carers
For many sole parents and others with carer responsibilities, a small business or home-based business provides a solution with flexibilities that may not be available through other employment. The NEIS programme provides for people with a partial work capacity through flexible delivery of the NEIS training and operation of a NEIS business on reduced hours.
You can read about other sole parents and carers who have successfully started NEIS businesses on our Success Stories page. Contact your local NEIS provider for advice on how to become your own boss.
For people aged 50 years and over
Starting a new business is an important employment option available to you as a mature age job seeker. You can read about other mature age people who have successfully started NEIS businesses on our Success Stories page.
If you are considering setting up as your own boss, the NEIS programme may be available to help you either of two ways depending on your personal circumstances.
As a mainstream NEIS applicant, you will need to be receiving a NEIS-eligible income support allowance, as well as meeting the other usual NEIS eligibility criteria. Importantly the Age Pension is not one of the NEIS-eligible allowances, so if you were due to switch from Newstart to the Age Pension before you could complete NEIS training, you would not be eligible to apply. Your local NEIS provider can advise you on this.
Since July 2006 NEIS has been available to job seekers aged 50 years or over and not on any income support allowance – known as Non-Allowee Mature Age (NAMA) job seekers. As a NAMA job seeker, you will receive the same NEIS training, business plan assessment, and ongoing guidance and mentoring through the first year of your business operation that all other NEIS applicants receive. However, you will not receive income support and rental assistance.
These places are ideally suited to people who can’t get Newstart allowances because for example they have received a retrenchment payout, have a spouse who is employed, or have some other form of income such as investment properties.
NAMA job seekers must be able to demonstrate a capacity to be financially self-sufficient during the entire period of NEIS training and NEIS Assistance – a maximum of 15 months. Before accepting you into the NEIS programme, your NEIS provider will check your ability to satisfy this requirement through a Household Income Plan assessment. The Household Income Plan will assess your income and assets against pre-determined upper and lower limits.
As a NAMA job seeker, you will also have to meet all other normal NEIS personal and business eligibility criteria.
The NEIS programme has helped hundreds of Indigenous Australian job seekers to start their own businesses - in urban, regional and remote areas. Participants in the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEPs) may also be eligible for help to start a business through NEIS.
As an Indigenous Australian NEIS participant you may be eligible to receive a range of additional services and assistance such as help getting loans, grants and guarantees:
You can read about other Indigenous Australians who have successfully started NEIS businesses on our Success Stories page. Contact your local NEIS provider for advice on how to become your own boss.
If you are from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, NEIS can help you with your idea for a new business. A NEIS provider may also be able to provide interpreter services if you need them.
You can learn about other people from non-English speaking backgrounds who have successfully started NEIS businesses on our Success Stories page.
The brochure Your Guide to the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme is available in a range of languages below: