For the first time, the state’s Secure Communities program will fund security for utes, vans, trailers and tools. The money is matched dollar for dollar, and the eligibility rules decide who can actually use it.
Queensland tradies can now apply for government funding to secure the vehicles, trailers and tools they work from.
It is the first time the state’s Secure Communities Partnership Program has opened to mobile businesses. Until now, the money went to councils and to businesses operating from fixed premises.
The third round is open now. It offers grants of $1,500 to $20,000 for individual small businesses and up to $200,000 for shared projects. The Queensland Government says up to $20 million is available across the round.
For builders and trades, the headline amounts matter less than two other things. The contribution each business has to make, and the eligibility rules that decide who gets through the door.
What will the Queensland security grants for tradies fund?
The Small Business Security Grants cover six categories: alarm systems, access control and entry management, surveillance and detection, lighting and environmental security, physical security items, and a new mobile business security category.
That last category is the change for trades. It applies to projects built around mobile business assets, such as a vehicle, trailer or cart.
Which specific products qualify is set out in the program guidelines and FAQ, not on the application page.
Master Builders Queensland’s Gold Coast Regional Manager, Adam Profke, said the theft of tools and equipment can significantly affect job timeframes and costs.
The Queensland Police Service’s tool security guidance lines up closely with the funded categories. It describes locked toolboxes bolted to the ute tray or vehicle floor, audible alarms on toolboxes, storage compartments and trailers, and hidden trackers on high value items.
How much does a tradie have to spend to get the grant?
Every grant is matched. The business pays 50 per cent of eligible project costs and the grant covers the other half.
For a mobile project, total eligible costs must be at least $3,000, which produces the minimum grant of $1,500. For a fixed premises project, or one that combines a shed or workshop with vehicles, the floor is $5,000 in costs and a $2,500 grant. At the top end, a $40,000 project attracts the maximum $20,000. All figures exclude GST.
The lower entry point is the quiet change in this round. In Round 2, the smallest grant on offer was $5,000, which meant a project worth at least $10,000.
A vehicle security upgrade that sat well below Round 2’s $10,000 project floor can now qualify. The business still puts up half the cost, which makes it a cash flow decision like any other equipment spend.
Who is eligible, and where the rules bite for builders?
To apply, a business needs 19 or fewer employees by headcount, turnover of $10 million or less in the last financial year, at least one year of trading, an active ABN, GST registration and a Queensland headquarters on its Australian Business Register record. Its main activity must be providing goods or services to customers.
Two of those rules deserve a closer look for our community.
The first is GST. A sole trader who is not registered for GST is excluded, however often their ute has been broken into.
A vehicle security upgrade that sat well below Round 2’s $10,000 project floor can now qualify.
The second is turnover. For most trades, $10 million is a high ceiling. For residential builders it can come into play sooner, because turnover counts the full contract value of every home, including money that passes straight through to subcontractors and suppliers. A builder with a small office team and a steady pipeline of new homes can sit near the limit while still running a lean building business.
Businesses that are insolvent, or whose owners or directors are bankrupt, cannot apply. Nor can a subsidiary of a group with 20 or more employees in total. Any business that was approved for and received funding in an earlier round is also ruled out.
Three project types, three thresholds
Mobile project: security for business assets such as a vehicle, trailer or cart. Total eligible costs of at least $3,000, for a grant of $1,500 to $20,000.
Fixed premises or combined project: security for a shed, workshop or shopfront, alone or with vehicles. Total eligible costs of at least $5,000, for a grant of $2,500 to $20,000.
Shared project: coordinated security benefiting at least two eligible small businesses at one site or precinct. Total eligible costs of $40,000 to $400,000, for a competitive grant of $20,000 to $200,000. In every case the applicant funds 50 per cent and amounts exclude GST.
Shared grants open a door for industrial estates
The round also introduces Shared Security Grants of $20,000 to $200,000 for projects that benefit at least two eligible small businesses. The same 50 per cent contribution applies, so total project costs must fall between $40,000 and $400,000.
Projects can be led by an eligible small business, or by a commercial property owner, lessor, body corporate, trustee or property manager. Local councils cannot lead them.
Property and precinct led applications carry extra requirements. The site must pass a small business occupancy test and meet precinct size requirements, and the applicant needs evidence of its authority to do the work. Tenancy schedules, site plans and evidence of any required approvals may also be requested.
For trades renting sheds or yards in an industrial estate, this is a different route to the same outcome. Perimeter fencing, lighting, access control and monitored alarms across a whole complex can sit under one application, with the cost shared between landlord and tenants or among the businesses themselves.
Unlike the individual grants, shared grants are competitive. The department will rank applications on security need, benefit to small businesses, project design and deliverability, value for money and readiness to deliver.
Separately, property owners and lessors can apply for individual grants where the work directly benefits eligible small business tenants.
When do applications close?
Small Business Security Grants close at 5pm on 23 April 2027, or earlier if funding runs out. Shared Security Grants close at 5pm on 29 January 2027.
The two dates work differently. Shared grants are assessed competitively against each other once submitted. Individual grants stay open until April, but that date comes forward if the funding is fully allocated.
Applications go through the government’s SmartyGrants portal. The process includes a witnessed 100 point identification form and supplier quotes, as set out in the guidelines. Full details sit on the Business Queensland program page.
How did the earlier rounds go?
The program is a $40 million, three year commitment. Round 1 went to councils and funded 42 precinct security projects worth $9.6 million. Thirty two of those were for surveillance and alarm systems.
Round 2 opened direct grants to small businesses from a $2 million pool. By late May 2026, 62 businesses had been funded. The industries the government named as examples were retail, accommodation and food services, and health care and social assistance. Construction was not mentioned. More than half of the successful applicants put the money into surveillance and detection.
That is the context for this round. The program has been built around shopfronts and precincts. Round 3 is the first time it has been shaped for businesses that carry their workshop on the back of a ute.
THE GOOD BUILDER TAKE
Tool theft has long been treated as a cost of doing business in this industry. This round is the first time Queensland grant money has been aimed at where tradies actually keep their gear.
It is modest money, and it is matched, so it will not change anyone’s year. But a lower entry point and shared grants for industrial estates are practical design choices.
The real test is whether trades hear about it before the money runs out.
If you apply, tell us how the process goes. Our community learns most from the builders and trades who have done it first.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Round 3 of the Secure Communities Partnership Program funds mobile business security for assets such as vehicles and trailers. Grants range from $1,500 to $20,000, and the business funds 50 per cent of eligible costs.
Total eligible costs must be at least $3,000 for a mobile project and $5,000 for a fixed premises or combined project. The grant covers half, so the minimum grants are $1,500 and $2,500. All amounts exclude GST.
Businesses with 19 or fewer employees, turnover of $10 million or less in the last financial year, at least one year of trading, an active ABN, GST registration and a Queensland headquarters. Businesses funded in an earlier round cannot apply.
Small Business Security Grants close at 5pm on 23 April 2027, or earlier if funding is exhausted. Shared Security Grants close at 5pm on 29 January 2027.
Yes. Shared Security Grants of $20,000 to $200,000 fund projects that benefit at least two eligible small businesses. They can be led by an eligible business or a commercial property owner, lessor, body corporate, trustee or property manager, and are assessed competitively.
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Last updated 27 October 2026. Program details current as at 23 October 2026.
General Information Only. This article provides general information only and does not constitute financial, legal, tax or professional advice. Grant terms, eligibility and closing dates are set by the Queensland Government and may change. Readers should refer to the current program guidelines and seek independent advice relevant to their circumstances.
Author: TGB Editorial
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