Take your business to the next level with Self-Employment Assistance

Build your path to success with Self-Employment Assistance. You can learn new skills and get the support you need to help your business grow and thrive. MTC Australia offers flexible business training, advice, and coaching at no cost to you. If you’re ready to take the next steps with your business, we’re here to help!
Why is Self-Employment Assistance important for existing business owners?
Owning a business can be rewarding. Let us help you overcome any hurdles along the way with our free help to grow your business. Our business experts have more than 10 years’ experience training and coaching small business owners across a range of industries.
Am I eligible for Self-Employment Assistance?
To be eligible for Self-Employment Assistance, you must:
Be aged 15 years or older (to access Small Business Coaching you must be at least 18 years of age or older)
Be legally allowed to work in Australia (no working holiday or student visa holders)
Eligible participants must not have:
Not be an undischarged bankrupt
Special Eligibility Cohort
People who are employed for more than 25 hours per week may still be eligible for Self-Employment Assistance if they belong to a Special Eligibility Cohort. The Special Eligibility Cohorts are retrenched workers, veterans, and family members of serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel.
Serving ADF veterans with a confirmed future transition date are eligible to access Self-Employment Assistance regardless of how many hours per week they are employed. A veteran’s ‘transition date’ is the date they will exit the ADF. Once a veteran exits the ADF, they may be eligible to access any Self-Employment Assistance Service.
The partners and adult children of serving members of the ADF (with or without a transition date) are Eligible to access Self-Employment Assistance regardless of how many hours per week they are employed.
Business Eligibility Criteria
Your new business must be:
An independent business
Lawful and able to withstand public scrutiny
Located and operated solely within Australia
Structured so you have a controlling interest during the program
*Additional criteria apply for some services
This training is funded by the Commonwealth Government.
If you’d like to know more about Self-Employment Assistance or see if it’s right for you, you can contact our Customer Care team on 1300 232 663.
How Self-Employment Assistance for existing business owners works
Self‑Employment Assistance for existing business owners provides a range of services for current business owners, ranging from flexible individual Business Advice Sessions and Business Health Checks to a structured 12-month package of Small Business Coaching.

Training and Business Planning
Build new business and marketing skills and fine-tune your business plan with the 13-week BSB30220 Certificate III in Entrepreneurship and New Business which can be taken flexibly, online or face to face. Alternatively, take one of the shorter courses which incorporate some units from the BSB30220 Certificate III in Entrepreneurship and New Business:
- BSBSS00102 – Micro Business Skill Set (6 weeks)
- BSBSS00103 – New Business Ventures Skill Set (8 weeks)
Small Business Coaching
One-on-one sessions with our specialist Coaches who will mentor you through any challenges that your business is facing so you can get back on track. You may also be eligible for up to $300 in business costs upon commencement of Small Business Coaching.
Alternatively, if you’re unable to make the time commitment for the ongoing Business Coaching Sessions or Small Business Training, you can opt for Business Advice Sessions (1 x two-hour session or 2 x one-hour sessions) to seek specific advice about a particular issue within your new business.


Business Health Check
The Business Health Check is a three-hour analysis session where you can build an action plan for the financial health of your business. During a one-on-one session, your Business Coach will have a look at how your business is currently going and discuss ways to improve it.
During your Business Health Check, your Business Coach will:
- Analyse your business
- Identify opportunities for improvement
- Connect you with local business support options if they feel you would benefit from them
If you are eligible, you can have a Business Health Check once every 12 months.
Business Advice Sessions
If you have identified specific issues within your business, you can request targeted advice to work through them with an expert and develop solutions. The Business Advice Sessions are an intense, one-hour session with an expert who will tailor the one-on-one session to meet your needs and goals.
The Business Advice Sessions are designed so that you get the most benefit out of it as possible. You may choose to go over:
- General advice on owning and running a business
- How to improve your business’ commercial viability
- Advice on a range of other small business-related matters
If your expert feels like it is necessary, they can also refer you to other small business support networks.
If you’re eligible, you can have a free Business Advice Session twice every 12 months.

RTO Code 90171