NEIS

What training do I receive?

NEIS training can help you achieve a nationally recognised small business qualification. During the training, we can will help you to develop a Business Plan and Financial Projections out to two years.

Initially you will participate in a Certificate III in Entrepreneurship and New Business as part of your program, which runs for total 13 weeks including 8 weeks of delivery and 2 weeks to finalize assessments. This means that people receiving certain types of income support (such as JobSeeker Payment) are not required to look for work while undertaking their small business training.

Some of the topic covered in the training are:

• Investigate business opportunities
• Develop and present business proposals
• Organise finances for new business ventures
• Address compliance requirements for new business ventures
• Maintain financial records
• Deliver and monitor a service to customers
• Organise personal work priorities
• Determine resource requirements for new business ventures
• Market new  business ventures
• Use Social Media to engage Customers

What is the NEIS Allowance?

If you are currently receiving income support from Services Australia or the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), you may be eligible to receive NEIS Allowance for up to the first 39 weeks of starting your NEIS business.

The amount of NEIS Allowance that you receive will not be affected by income from your NEIS business, however, external income not associated with your NEIS business may affect your income. NEIS Allowance is equivalent to the single, 22 or over, no children rate of JobSeeker Payment, and is paid fortnightly in arrears. Payment is subject to you meeting your obligations under your NEIS Participant Agreement.

If you are receiving Income Support Payments from Services Australia such as Parenting Payment (Single), Disability Support Pension, Volunteers receiving an Income Support Payment from Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (Centrelink/DVA), you can choose to stay on those payments and still sign up for the NEIS program so you then receive free mentoring support.

You may also be able to receive NEIS Rental Assistance. This is a fixed rate payment for a period of 26 weeks from the date you first receive NEIS Assistance.   To be eligible for NEIS Rental Assistance you must have been receiving Services Australia or DVA rental assistance before you start receiving NEIS Allowance.

Am I eligible for NEIS?

You may be eligible for NEIS payment if you:

• are currently in receipt of a JobSeeker allowance
• are eligible for Jobactive or are a Disability Employment Services participant in the Employment Assistance Phase
• are participating in Jobactive as a Volunteer and commence in NEIS Assistance before the end of your period of service.

NEIS applicants must also:

• be at least 18 years of age
• be receiving an income support payment such as JobSeeker Payment, Parenting Payment, Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension or Youth Allowance (Other)
• not convert to the Age Pension before or during participation in NEIS
• be available to participate in NEIS training (if relevant) and work full time in the proposed NEIS business
• not be an undischarged bankrupt
• not have, at any time, received NEIS Assistance for a similar business activity
• not have received NEIS Assistance in the past year

Business proposal

If you are eligible, your NEIS provider will assess the business idea to make sure it meets the business eligibility criteria. This means the proposed NEIS business:

• cannot already be operating on a commercial basis
• will be independent
• is lawful and capable of withstanding public scrutiny
• has been assessed as commercially viable by the NEIS provider
• is not based on the purchase or takeover of an existing business
• will not compete directly with existing businesses unless it can be demonstrated that there is an unsatisfied demand for the product or service, or the product or service is to be provided in a new way
• will be established, located and operated solely within Australia
• will be structured so the job seeker has and will maintain a controlling interest over the NEIS business for the duration of the job seeker’s time in NEIS
• will not be a not-for-profit business unless otherwise agreed to by the Department of Employment.

How to apply

Program dates and locations

Dates and locations will be made available upon acceptance into the program.