The City of Melbourne’s Small Business Grants Program will return for the first time since 2019, providing grants of up to $20,000 to support innovation and expansion. 

Melbourne Chamber members Melbourne Polytechnic and Jayco Australia were among the major winners at the 69th annual Victorian Training Awards.

The latest CBD occupancy survey by the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry finds the office continues to play a vital role in our professional lives but employers are accepting flexible arrangements and work-life balance.

We are gearing up for our highly-anticipated Victorian Chamber Presents: Victoria – the home of innovation event next week. Political and industry leaders, entrepreneurs and visionaries will come together to reveal future trends and explore strategies to foster innovation in the business landscape.

The Victorian Chamber is excited to offer our most popular training programs at four new locations around Melbourne’s east and south-east, starting in September.

Taking the temperature of the Victorian business community over the past few weeks, there is a distinctive chill in the confidence barometer. 

I was fortunate to catch up this week with an extremely impressive woman in Freda Miriklis, Chair of the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN). The Victorian Chamber first cemented our connection with the CWBN in Geneva at the World Chambers Congress, where our Chamber Change program was a finalist in the Best Gender Equity Project category in the World Chambers Competition. It was great to discuss how we are going to collaborate with the CWBN to continue our work to help empower women in business.

Workers and employers continue to navigate the balance of working from home and in the office.

Retail tenants need to take important steps to prepare for the end of their lease to meet responsibilities and avoid issues.

I hope this finds you well. I, for one, am still buzzing from last night’s Victorian Chamber President’s Dinner – our night of nights where we get to celebrate our members and the contribution that business makes to our great state.

According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, “any market economy will function much more effectively if the population is knowledgeable, forward-looking and financially literate”.

In another busy week for the Victorian Chamber, the hallways of our Collins St headquarters on Tuesday best demonstrated the role we play across all levels and sides of government.

Financial support is available for businesses affected by the ending of native timber harvesting.

Melbourne has been crowned Australia’s top city for international students and moved up one spot in the world rankings to fourth place behind London, Tokyo and Seoul.

While we usually open with a positive message, there is no way to sugarcoat the blow of the news that Victoria will no longer be hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Employers to partner with National Affordable Housing (NAH) to deliver affordable housing options for employees in Victoria – and reap the benefits from it.