What is Self-Employment Assistance?
A free Workforce Australia program that helps you test a business idea, write your business plan, get accredited training and one-to-one advice. It replaced NEIS in July 2022 and runs through local providers in 51 regions.
The key facts
- Free Exploring Self-Employment Workshops (over 1 to 2 weeks), Business Plan Development and accredited Small Business Training such as the Certificate IV in Entrepreneurship and New Business
- Up to 2 one-hour Business Advice Sessions and one 3-hour Business Health Check every 12 months
- No job search requirement while you do Small Business Training (up to 8 weeks); other services earn 15 to 25 points
- From age 15; Australian citizen, permanent visa or nominated visa holder; not an undischarged bankrupt
What you must do to keep getting it
Job search requiredJob search
Self-Employment Assistance runs alongside your payment, so your Job Plan continues, except during Small Business Training (up to 8 weeks), when you have no job search requirement.
Your business work can count. Workshops earn 20 points, Business Plan Development 25, Small Business Training 25 a week, a Business Advice Session 15 and a Business Health Check 20.
What you must do to keep getting it
- Tell your employment services provider which Self-Employment Assistance services you start, so they count towards your points.
- Keep reporting to Centrelink every 2 weeks.
If you take or turn down a job: Your payment’s rules still apply: accept any offer of suitable paid work.
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Cite this page
"What is Self-Employment Assistance?", Pontia, https://pontia.xyz/au/guide/sea/ (updated 25 September 2026)
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