Whether you are looking to grow your business or need support to navigate through challenging times, your business could benefit from the pool of programs covering business development, employment incentives, disaster relief, energy rebates, wellbeing assistance and more.

The following list is a guide. Many more initiatives are available, targeted at specific sectors and business needs.

The Victorian Chamber can also help you find and determine what programs you are eligible for. Details of the Victorian Chamber’s Grant Finder service are available below.

Business growth

Ready for Growth

This program provides tailored advice to Victorian businesses with high growth potential to access new markets or create jobs.

Victorian Business Growth Fund

The Victorian Business Growth Fund supports Victorian SMEs ready to grow their business, but who can’t access the funds or find the right partner to take the next step.

Research and Development Tax Incentive

The Research and Development Tax Incentive helps companies innovate and grow by offsetting some of the costs of eligible research and development (R&D).

Innovate to Grow

Innovate to Grow is a free 10-week program for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) who want to progress their research and development opportunities, or are in the early decision-making stages about engaging in research and development.

Landing Pads

Landing Pads provide start-ups with a workspace for up to 90 days in a global innovation hub, along with access to coaching, investors, customers, training and networking events.

CSIRO Kick-Start

CSIRO Kick-Start provides matched funding for start-ups and small to medium enterprises to help access CSIRO’s research expertise and capabilities to help grow your business.

Digital Solutions - Australian Small Business Advisory Services Round 1

Looking for tailored advice for your small business? The Digital Solutions program works with you to adopt digital tools to save you time and money, and to help grow your business.

Employment assistance

Digital Jobs Program

This program provides businesses with an opportunity to host a digitally trained candidate through a subsidised 12-week internship.

Digital Jobs for Manufacturing

Provides Victorian manufacturers with fully subsidised, industry‑endorsed training to upskill their workforce. Grants of up to $5,000 per employee are available.

Wage Subsidies

Wage subsidies of up to $10,000 provide financial incentives to employers to hire and retain eligible participants in ongoing and sustainable positions.

Wage Subsidy Scheme

The Wage Subsidy Scheme provides funding of up to $1,650 for employers who hire job seekers registered with a Disability Employment Service provider to help people with disability gain skills and experience through employment.

Employment Assistance Fund

The Employment Assistant Fund provides workers with a disability with funding for workplace modifications, equipment or services they need to perform their job.

Apprenticeship Wage Subsidies and Hiring Incentives

Subsidies and incentives are available for Australian businesses to help them hire, train and keep apprentices.

Regional Jobs Fund

The Regional Jobs Fund provides businesses and organisations with funding to develop and retain jobs in regional Victoria.

Supported Wage System

The Supported Wage System provides free productivity assessments for employers of people with a disability so they can pay wages to employees based on their productivity.

Energy

Solar for Business Program

Eligible businesses can apply for a rebate of $3,500 to install a solar panel system, with the option to take advantage of an interest-free loan up to $5,000.

Victorian Energy Upgrades for businesses

This program gives businesses discounts on a wide range of energy-efficient products. This helps cut power bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Subsidy

The Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Subsidy provides Victorian businesses and individuals with subsidies of up to $3,000 to purchase a zero emission vehicle.

On-Farm Action Plan Pilot VIC

This pilot program provides practical information, tools and services to support farmers to understand and reduce emissions.

Emissions Reduction Fund

The Emissions Reduction Fund provides businesses with the opportunity to earn Australian carbon credit units for every tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent a business stores or avoids emitting through adopting new practices and technologies.

Disaster relief

Business and Community Sport Flood Recovery Grants

This program provides funding to small businesses, not-for-profit and community sport and active recreation organisations that have suffered direct loss or damage from the 2022 Victorian floods.

Business Relief Service

The Business Relief Service offers free and confidential one-on-one support to flood-affected business owners from a local business relief adviser via telephone and on the ground.

Bushfire Related Tax Relief Measures

The Victorian government is offering a range of tax relief measures for people affected by the 2019/20 bushfires.

Upskill My Business

Upskill My Business provides Victorian small businesses with access to free online courses, live and on-demand events and resources to help them recover from COVID-19.

Wellbeing

Partners in Wellbeing Helpline

It is common for people to feel stress or concern about their business. Partners in Wellbeing provides free access to wellbeing coaches, financial counsellors and business advisers.

Wellbeing and Mental Health Support for Victorian Small Businesses

Through this program, Victorians dealing with the challenges of running a small business can get the mental health support they need to navigate through the impacts of COVID‑19.

First Nations

Start-Up Finance Package

The Start-up Finance Package provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander start-ups with access to loans to help new businesses get off the ground.

Trade Routes

This program provides support to First Nation businesses to help them build their capacity for international trade and growth.

Indigenous Advancement Strategy

The Indigenous Advancement Strategy provides funding for organisations to help them undertake projects or activities which promote equal opportunities for Indigenous Australians.

Business Loan Package

Loans are available to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait owned businesses to help them plan their business future.

Tax incentives and other

Small Business Income Tax Offset

The Small Business Income Tax Offset provides unincorporated small businesses with a tax offset of up to $1,000 per year

$150,000 Instant Asset Write-Off

The $150,000 Instant Asset Write-Off provides businesses with an asset write-off of up to $150,000 for assets costing less than the instant asset write-off threshold which are purchased and used in the year that the write-off is claimed.

Backing Business Investment – Accelerated Depreciation

This arrangement allows you to claim depreciation of new business assets at a faster rate in your tax return.

Excise Concession

Excise Concession provides small businesses with the opportunity to defer settlement of (lodge and pay) their excise duty and excise equivalent customs duty from weekly to monthly.

The Victorian Chamber also has a page available for export-specific grants and assistance.

Grant Finder

Although an essential enabler to support business growth, we know finding grants can be complex and time consuming. The Victorian Chamber Grant Finder is your new single source of truth for business grants in Victoria.

Explore nearly 900 business grants worth more than $100 billion from all government levels (local, state and federal) available for Victorian businesses.

Use Grant Finder today