Do you know a small restaurant that deserves a boost? This is their chance to go into the running to win a life-changing grant, thanks to the Backing International Small Restaurants initiative by American Express.

The program, which was previously only open to independent restaurants in Greater Sydney and Greater Melbourne, now includes New Zealand, with 15 grants valued at $23,000 AUD available to small restaurant owners in the two Australian cities, and five grants worth $25,000 NZD available to eligible restaurants in Auckland. Each grant offers a life-changing sum for small business owners to put towards the future of their business.

Globally this year, the American Express Backing International Small Restaurants program is delivering $1.45 million USD in funding to 100 restaurants so they can make critical improvements, like enhancing their digital capabilities, refreshing dining spaces and improving kitchen operations. Since 2022 in Australia, this Amex program has delivered $522,500 AUD in financial support.

Related story: Ho Jiak’s Junda Khoo is about to reveal his Malaysian rooftop beer hall in Melbourne

Credit: Supplied

This is the fourth year that Sydney has been involved in the program. Previous recipients of the grants include Viand in Woolloomooloo, Small’s Deli in Potts Point and Kabul Social in Barangaroo. Grantees from past years say the funding helped them make much-needed infrastructure changes.

Sue and Dale Messina from Bojak Brewing, a 75-seater brewery in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong, were one of the 13 grant recipients in Australia in 2024

“The American Express grant was great because it helped us afford improvements that we couldn’t have made otherwise,” Sue says. “We installed permanent gas heaters in the outdoor beer garden, making it a perfect year-round spot for families and beer-lovers alike. The grant also enabled us to invest in new kitchen flooring and better equipment, like a new density meter to provide more precise measurements and streamline the brewing process, as well as a carton box-taper to improve efficiency when packaging beer.”

Applications for the Backing International Small Restaurants program are now open, and close on July 1. To apply, head to the Backing International Small Restaurants Grant Program website.

Related story: How to save on dining during American Express delicious. Month Out