An Australian non-bank lender and wealth manager has launched what it has termed a ”small business bounce back competition”.
La Trobe Financial has partnered with the National Basketball League (NBL) – which the group has sponsored since 2006 – to provide 10 Australian small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic the chance to obtain a $10,000 grant.
Cory Bannister, La Trobe Financial chief lending officer, explained that the initiative is a natural extension of the group’s decades of helping support its customers, such as small business owners – and La Trobe is well positioned to do so as the 2020 recipient of Best Non-Bank Financial Institution Award by Money magazine.
“We’ve worked closely to support our customers through some challenging times over the last year, and now we want to help Australian businesses propel forward to make up for lost time,” Bannister said.
The promotion is set to run through the NBL season and is fronted by Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze.
There are ten $10,000 grants up for grabs, amounting to $100,000 in total. The program has been designed to help small businesses adapt to a new way of working, be it pivoting to outdoor dining, home delivery, improved online capabilities or other adaptions that will boost their ability to operate in the current climate.
For his part, Gaze said, “I’m enjoying bringing this promotion to life during the NBL matches and looking forward to connecting with the winners and sharing their stories with basketball fans across the country.”
Small businesses interested in applying should head to the NBL website, where they will be prompted to describe in 250 words or less how a $10,000 grant would help them recover momentum in 2021.
Hungry Jack’s NBL Owner and executive chairman, Larry Kestelman, chimed in.
“It has been a very difficult period for small businesses across Australia and we are pleased to partner with La Trobe Financial to help small businesses in need bounce back,” he said.
