Canon Oceania has opened submissions for its 2021 Grants Program. As the ramifications of COVID-19 continue to impact Australian businesses, Canon’s Grants Program is including a small business category and increased cash donations for the second year running.

“Australian communities and organisations have been significantly impacted by COVID-19. As the JobKeeper program has drawn to a close, it’s important for us to get behind small businesses and support their shift from survival to recovery mode,” said Akira ‘Dave’ Yoshida, Managing Director, Canon Oceania.

“Last year we extended our Grants Program to include small businesses for the first time and we were thrilled to see the positive impact this delivered. Looking ahead, it’s imperative that small businesses not only adjust to the ‘new normal’ but are set up for success in the future. We’re committed to helping our local business community navigate a COVID-19 world,” Yoshida said.

Winners will also be selected from two additional categories: Community, which is open to organisations ranging from not-for-profits, to grassroots groups and environmental causes, and Education, which is open to schools and other educational centres for children and adults alike. Winners will be selected based on the strength of their initiative and the impact it will have on their community or business.

Each Grant recipient will receive $5,000 in cash and Canon products, ranging from cameras and printers, to projectors and other accessories. This year the value of the Grants will be equally divided between cash and equipment – $2,500 each – reflecting organisations’ greater need for cash to help rebuild themselves in a weaker economy (where the split prior to 2020 was $1,000 in cash and $4,000 in products).

“At Canon, we believe the Kyosei philosophy is something we live and breathe every day, so we’re pleased to continue supporting small businesses as they take the important next steps towards recovery,” Yoshida said.

Last year’s Small Business Grant winner was Dogs for Kids with Disabilities, an organisation that raises and trains assistance and therapy dogs for children whose everyday activities are restricted by emotional, physical and intellectual challenges. They used their prizes from the Grant to create videos that drive awareness of their work among the wider community. This awareness has been imperative in helping Dogs for Kids secure sponsors so that they have the means to continue their important work for children with disabilities.

“The Canon equipment has been wonderful in enabling us to create educational videos to promote the work of our amazing volunteers, staff, families and of course, our incredible dogs,” said Tracey Harris, Chair and Board Member.

“Educating the community and attracting new sponsors has been critical during the lockdown period. At the same time, it’s been very rewarding to connect with our community through the love of assistance dogs. For any small business in need of support – big or small – I encourage you to apply for Canon Oceania Grants,” Harris said.

Another winner is Telethon Speech and Hearing, an independent school offering therapy services for children with hearing loss and speech delays. They used their grant to develop a “mobile pack” for tele-therapy sessions.

“During lockdown, the prize money and cameras from the Canon Grant allowed us to facilitate online delivery of high-quality learning to families in remote Western Australia,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, CEO.

“A highlight has been providing children in our Chatterbox Program (aged 0-5) and their families with access to specialised teachers, regardless of their location. Thanks to Canon, we’ve been able to conduct virtual intervention, ensuring that distance isn’t a barrier to quality support for children in the early years of development,” he said.

Furthermore, the winner of the 2020 Community Grant, Action for Dolphins, is working to stop cruelty and gain legal protection for dolphins. The organisation is using equipment supplied by the Grant for everything from recording evidence of animals trapped in underwater nets to capturing interviews with experts.

“We were lucky enough to receive the Canon Grant which enabled us to create a video warning against illegal handfeeding of Dolphins on North Stradbroke Island,” said Hannah Tait, CEO.

“The video was displayed on the ferry to the island, educating visitors as well as our local community about how to end activities that harm marine life.”

The 2021 Grants will be awarded under the following categories:

1 x Small Business Grant – AU$5,000
Open to any for-profit entity that employs fewer than 20 people and have less than AUD 10 million aggregated turnover (according to ABS and ATO guidelines).

1 x Community Grant – AU$5,000
Open to a range of organisations keeping their community at the heart of what they do, ranging from not-for-profits, to grassroots groups and environmental causes.

1 x Education Grant – AU$5,000
Open to schools and other educational centres for children and adults alike.

1 x Runner-up Grant – AU$1,000
A runner up will be selected from any of the categories above.

Submissions are now open until Friday 30th July via Canon Oceania Grants 2020 | Canon Australia. The wider community will vote on finalists in August, and winners will be announced in September.