A stolen trailer or a ute cleaned out overnight can cost a tradie a week's work, not just the gear. On 23 October 2026 the Queensland Government opened Round 3 of the Secure Communities Partnership Program, and for the first time mobile businesses can apply. That means security for work vehicles, trailers and business equipment, not just shopfronts and workshops.[1]
Up to $20 million is available in this round.[1] Here is how the small business stream works, and the details that will decide whether your business qualifies.
How much you can get
Grants run from $1,500 to $20,000, excluding GST, and you pay 50% of the eligible project cost.[2]
- Mobile-only projects (a vehicle, trailer, cart or similar): the project must cost at least $3,000, so the smallest grant is $1,500.[2]
- Fixed premises, or a mix of fixed and mobile: the project must cost at least $5,000, so the smallest grant is $2,500.[2]
- The maximum is a $20,000 grant on a $40,000 project.[2]
So a $6,000 security fit-out across two utes and a trailer would attract a $3,000 grant, with you paying the other $3,000.
Who can apply
Your business must, when you apply and for the life of the project:[2]
- have 19 or fewer employees (by headcount)
- have had turnover of $10 million or less in 2025-26
- be actively trading, with an active ABN and at least one year of trading history
- be registered for GST
- have a Queensland headquarters on its ABR record
You can't apply if the business is insolvent, if an owner or director is an undischarged bankrupt, if you are a subsidiary of a group with 20 or more employees in total, or if you were already funded under an earlier round of this program.[2]
Two of these trip up tradies more than the rest. Sole traders under the $75,000 GST threshold often aren't registered for GST, and that rules them out. And the Queensland headquarters test is read from your ABR record, so check ABN Lookup before you start.[3]
What it pays for
The small business stream covers six categories: alarm systems, access control, surveillance and detection, security lighting, physical security items, and mobile business security.[2] Business Queensland says the item-by-item detail sits in the program guidelines and FAQs, so read those before you get quotes. Don't assume a particular product is covered just because it sounds like security.
Don't buy or install anything until you have read the guidelines and been approved. Queensland grant programs commonly refuse to fund work that started before approval.
How to apply
1. Run the eligibility checker on the Business Queensland page.[2] 2. Read the program guidelines and FAQs. 3. Get itemised written quotes from your security supplier. The quote sets your project cost, and therefore your grant. 4. Complete the 100-point identification form and have it witnessed.[2] 5. Register for SmartyGrants and lodge your application there.[2]
Applications close at 5pm on 23 April 2027, or earlier if the money runs out.[2] With $20 million spread across a whole state and a new group of mobile businesses now eligible, applying early is the safer plan.
What about your yard or industrial estate?
If several businesses share a yard, strip or estate, there is also a separate Shared Security Grants stream of $20,000 to $200,000 for projects that protect at least two small businesses. That stream is competitive and closes on 29 January 2027.[4]
This guide reflects Business Queensland's program pages as at 29 October 2026. It doesn't replace the program guidelines, which you should read before applying.