Applications closed

Applications for this program closed at 4pm on Monday 1 May 2023.

Program overview

Business and Community Sport Flood Recovery Grants support small businesses, not-for-profit and community sport and active recreation organisations that have suffered direct loss or damage from the Victorian floods.

The program is jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements for the Victorian Floods which commenced in October 2022 (AGRN 1037) (the “Victorian Floods”).

Eligible businesses and organisations must be located within a local government area declared under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement (‘defined disaster area’).

You can apply for up to $50,000 excluding GST in total funding to cover expenses resulting from direct flood damage to property, assets, stock or equipment. The program does not cover direct loss or damage because of storm damage, such as ceiling leaks or roof damage.

IMPORTANT NOTE: you are no longer required to have received funding under the Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program or Community Sport Emergency Flood Assistance Program before applying for a Flood Recovery Grant. These programs closed on Tuesday 7 February 2023.

If you have already received a $5000 grant from either the Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program or Community Sport Emergency Flood Assistance Program, this amount is considered part of the total funds (up to $50,000 excl GST) provided under this program.

If you were unsuccessful in applying to either of these $5000 programs, you will not be eligible for the Business and Community Sport Flood Recovery Grant.

If you believe you were incorrectly assessed, you can submit a complaint to request reassessment.

The grant has two tiers of funding:

Tier 1

Up to $25,000 is available with evidence of direct damage and an outline of expected recovery costs. To make a claim under Tier 1 you can provide evidence of either estimated or actual costs. You must first apply for Tier 1 before progressing to Tier 2.

Tier 2

Tier 2 includes subsequent grant payments totalling over $25,000, up to $50,000, which can be reimbursed with full evidence of payment for recovery costs (tax invoices and official receipts). This evidence of payment must also include any amounts initially claimed under Tier 1, including the initial $5000 immediate flood relief payment (if applicable).

Applications for this program closed at 4pm on Monday 1 May 2023.

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Eligibility

This program supports small businesses, not-for-profit and community sport and active recreation organisations that have suffered direct loss or damage from the Victorian Floods. The program does not cover direct loss or damage as a result of storm damage, such as ceiling leaks or roof damage. You cannot claim for any expenses that can be claimed through your insurance. We recommend speaking to your insurance company about what you are entitled to claim under insurance before making a claim under this grant program.

If you require support to apply for a grant, contact us during operational hours or register online for support from a Business Relief Adviser.

Additional eligibility criteria apply depending on the applicant type as outlined below. Full details of the eligibility criteria and conditions are included in the program guidelines. Applicants must meet these to be successful under the program.

Businesses and organisations will be ineligible for a grant if any information in their application is found to be deliberately false, misleading or fraudulent. Providing inaccurate, untrue, or misleading information may result in an offence being committed and serious penalties may apply.

If you were unsuccessful in applying to either the Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program or Community Sport Emergency Flood Assistance Program you will not be eligible for a Business and Community Sport Flood Recovery Grant.

However if you believe that you were incorrectly assessed under either of these programs or if you would like to provide further information to support your application, you can submit a complaint to request reassessment.

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Small business or not-for-profit applicants must:

  • be a sole trader or business employing fewer than 20 full time equivalent employees
  • hold an active ABN on and from 14 October 2022 (backdated ABN registrations will not be accepted)
  • be registered for GST on and from 14 October 2022 (backdated GST registrations will not be accepted)
  • be a small business located within a local government area deemed eligible for assistance under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement (‘defined disaster area’)
  • have been engaged in carrying on their business when affected by floods
  • have suffered direct flood damage to premises and/or tools of trade (e.g. equipment, plant)
  • intend to re-establish the business in the same community, region or sector as the defined disaster area (local government area)
  • be primarily responsible for meeting the costs claimed
  • provide satisfactory evidence of the loss or damage

The applicant business must be a legal entity registered in Victoria on and from 14 October 2022 and any of the following:

  • a company (including an Aboriginal corporation)
  • a trustee on behalf of a trust (where the trust is the eligible business)
  • sole trader and partnerships
  • a not-for-profit company or incorporated association.

For sole traders and businesses with no employees, the business owner must derive at least 50% of their income from the business. Evidence must be provided from a Qualified Agent.

Not-for-profit organisations must be registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC) or an equivalent State/Territory regulatory body and have held that registration at the time of the eligible disaster.

Community sport and active recreation organisations must:

  • deliver a sport or activity that is a person-centric physical activity. This includes active recreation organisations that encourage people to participate in nature-based, outdoor activities (including sporting activities at camps)
  • be non-government and not-for-profit
  • be located within a local government area deemed eligible for assistance under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement (‘defined disaster area’)
  • have been engaged in carrying on their function when affected by floods
  • have suffered direct damage to premises and/or tools of trade (e.g. equipment, plant)
  • intend to re-establish in the same community, region or sector as the defined disaster area (local government area)
  • be primarily responsible for meeting the costs claimed
  • provide satisfactory evidence of the loss or damage.

The applicant organisation must be a legal entity delivering in Victoria and any of the following:

  • incorporated association
  • company limited by guarantee
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation.

Businesses, not-for-profit or community sport and active recreation organisations located outside an eligible location may still apply if, for example, they operate on a part-time or regular basis within an eligible local government area (defined disaster area) and that business’ property, plant and/or equipment were damaged.

Where two or more independent and separately owned and registered businesses or organisations operate from the same premises, each applicant may receive the maximum available grant amount providing they are:

  • independently eligible for the grant
  • claiming for different expenses to other applicant/s operating on the same premises
  • claiming expenses that are essential to the operation of their small business or not-for-profit organisations.

Small businesses or not-for-profit organisations which are part of a national chain must demonstrate that they operate through a separate legal entity to be eligible. Franchises may be eligible. Small businesses and not-for-profit organisations must be locally registered or operated, however, owners may reside outside the community, region or sector of the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster.

Eligible local government areas

Eligible local government areas are also referred to as defined disaster areas impacted by the Victorian floods.

See the full list of eligible local government areas.

Program guidelines

Please note that program guidelines have changed to reflect updates to the program. Anyone applying for a grant from 4:01pm Tuesday 7 February 2023 will need to follow the updated program guidelines below.

Business and Community Sport Flood Recovery Grants Program Guidelines (PDF 479.65 KB) PDF icon

Business and Community Sport Flood Recovery Grants Program Guidelines (DOCX 1286.57 KB) DOCX icon

Grant amount

You can apply for up to $50,000 in total funding to cover GST exclusive expenses resulting from direct flood damage to property, assets, stock or equipment (you cannot claim for expenses for storm damage or loss of income).

Important note: if you have already received a $5000 grant from either the Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program or Community Sport Emergency Flood Assistance Program, this amount will be included in any funds provided under this program.

The grant has two tiers of funding:

Tier 1

Up to $25,000 is available with evidence of direct damage and an outline of expected recovery costs.

To make a claim under Tier 1 you can provide evidence of either estimated or actual costs. You must first apply for Tier 1 before progressing to Tier 2.

When you apply, you must have and retain evidence of either estimated or actual costs for all claims up to $25,000 (excl. GST). When you apply, you must provide a statutory declaration that includes an inventory of the damage claimed.

If you received $5000 under the Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program or the Community Sport Emergency Flood Assistance Program, details of these expenses will need to be included in your Tier 1 claim, meaning the minimum request is $5001 (excl. GST). For example, if you want to claim an additional $10,000 under this program following your successful $5000 grant application, you would include expense details for $15,000 in total.

We will contact you via email (within 3 business days from the date you submit your application) and ask you to provide evidence of direct damage required to assess your application (e.g. photos, quotes, reports).

You must retain all evidence of how the money was spent (e.g., receipts and invoices) for at least four years from receipt of payment.

Tier 2

Tier 2 includes subsequent grant payments totalling over $25,000, up to $50,000, which can be reimbursed with full evidence of payment for recovery costs (tax invoices and official receipts clearly showing what the expenses have covered). This evidence of payment must also include any amounts initially claimed under Tier 1, including the initial $5000 grant (if applicable).

You must retain all evidence of how the money was spent (e.g., receipts and invoices) for at least four years from receipt of payment.

How to claim

You can make up to three total claims under the program so long as the total amount you apply for does not exceed $50,000 (excl. GST). You will first need to apply for expenses up to $25,000 (excl. GST) under Tier 1. Up to a total of two subsequent claims can be made under either:

  1. Tier 1 (if the total cumulative amount claimed is $25,000 (excl. GST) or less)
  2. Tier 2 (if the total cumulative amount claimed exceeds $25,000 (excl. GST).

You are no longer required to have received funding under the Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program or Community Sport Emergency Flood Assistance Program before applying for a Flood Recovery Grant. These programs closed on Tuesday 7 February 2023.

If you have already received a $5000 grant from either the Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program or Community Sport Emergency Flood Assistance Program, this amount will be included in any funds provided under this program.

If you were assessed as ineligible for either of these programs, you will not be eligible for this grant.

However, if you believe you were incorrectly assessed or you would like to provide further information to support your application, you can submit a complaint to be reassessed within 60 days of an unsuccessful notification. If your reassessment is successful, you can apply for this grant.

Each application or claim must be approved before you can submit another claim.

Details on how to make further claims will be sent to you when your successful payment is processed.

Grant funding must be used to cover expenses arising from the direct damage caused by flooding to the applicant’s property, assets, stock or equipment. Expenses arising from storm damage (e.g. roof leaking) and loss of income are not covered by this grant.

You cannot claim for any expenses that can be claimed through your insurance. We recommend speaking to your insurance company about what you are entitled to claim under insurance before making a claim under this grant program.

Businesses will not be eligible to receive funding under this program if they have received support under the Primary Producer Flood Relief Program.

What you need for your application

To apply you will need to:

  • meet the eligibility criteria
  • provide proof of identity
  • attest that those costs have not been claimed and cannot be claimed under insurance
  • (for Tier 1 claims up to $25,000) submit a statutory declaration outlining an estimate of costs using the template provided. We will contact you via email (within 3 business days from the date you submit your application) and ask you to provide evidence of direct damage required to assess your application (e.g. photos, quotes, reports)
  • (for Tier 2 claims over $25,000) first be approved for Tier 1. We will provide you with a unique link to apply for Tier 2. You will need to provide evidence of payment (tax invoices and receipts) for all expenses claimed under Tier 1 and Tier 2.

If your business is a non-employing business (e.g. sole trader who has no employees), you must provide a letter from ‘Qualified Agent’ attesting that at least 50 per cent of your income derives from the business (using the Qualified Agent template).

If you are not the authorised representatives to apply on behalf of the organisation, you must provide a letter of authority (using the Letter of Authority template) from the authorised representative.

We may ask you to provide further information if your organisation’s eligibility cannot be verified, or the evidence you’ve provided is not enough.

If you are claiming for mobile assets such as a motor vehicle, we may contact you to request further information about the asset you are claiming for.

You must keep evidence supporting your claim for audit purposes for four years from receipt of the grant.

Evidence and documentation

Your application will require you to provide additional evidence or documentation.

For instructions and information about how to complete the necessary templates and documents to support your application and claims, see the required evidence and documentation templates.

The what you need for your application section above provides further information on what you need to provide with your application.

If you don’t provide the required evidence and documentation, we may reject your application.

You must retain all evidence of how the money was spent (e.g., receipts and invoices) for at least four years from receipt of payment.

Proof of identity

Your proof of identity document can be one of the following:

  • Victorian driver licence or learner permit
  • Australian passport
  • Medicare card
  • foreign passport for those issued with an Australian visa.

If you have lost or had documents destroyed due to the floods, see I have lost or cannot access my identity documents due to the floods. What should I do?.

If you are having difficulty and need any assistance completing your application, please contact us during operating hours. We are available via phone, email and live chat.

If you require a translator, please call the Business Victoria hotline on 13 22 15 and let our operator know. They will call the Translating and Interpreting Service for you.

If you are having trouble uploading your identification or need help, please refer to the proof of identity verification user guide.

You can check the status of your application by logging into the Business Victoria Grants Portal.

While we will make every effort to process your application as quickly as possible, the evidence and assessment process required for this grant program means we cannot provide a specific timeframe for applications.

How to apply

Applications for this program closed at 4pm on Monday 1 May 2023.

You cannot claim for any expenses that can be claimed through your insurance. We recommend speaking to your insurance company about what you are entitled to claim under insurance before applying for a grant.

Step 1: complete the application form relevant to your organisation type (see ‘apply now’ below)

Step 2: we will contact you via email (within 3 business days from the date you submit your application) and ask you to provide evidence of direct damage required to assess your application

Step 3: submit evidence of direct damage (photos and/or documents) using the online form we send you

Step 4: we will assess your application and notify you of the outcome.

Once your initial application and claim has been approved and processed, you will be provided with a unique link to enable you to make subsequent claims if required.

We may ask you to provide further information if your organisation’s eligibility cannot be verified, or the evidence you’ve provided is not enough.

The Victorian Government or our representatives may audit your application.

Providing inaccurate, untrue, or misleading information may result in an offence being committed and serious penalties may apply.

If any information in your application is false or misleading, you may be asked to repay the grant.

Please read all the information on this page, the program guidelines, and the frequently asked questions before applying.

Apply now

Applications for this program closed at 4pm on Monday 1 May 2023.

Assessing your application

Applications will be carefully considered and assessed against eligibility criteria and program guidelines.

While we will make every effort to process your application as quickly as possible, the evidence and assessment process required for this grant program means we cannot provide a specific timeframe for applications.

There may be longer processing times and delays in notifying you of your outcome if:

  • you do not meet the eligibility criteria
  • your application is incomplete
  • your application has incorrect information, such as ABN or bank details (for successful applicants)
  • your application does not include current or accurate information registered with relevant regulators or partner agencies, such as the ABR, State Revenue Office, ACNC or WorkSafe
  • we need further information to verify or validate the application and claim for funding
  • we are having trouble contacting you
  • if exceptionally high volumes of applications are submitted within a short period of time
  • your application is submitted during the summer holiday period (between 23 December 2022 and 6 January 2023).

Second or third claims may take significantly longer to process as we will prioritise the first-time claim of all applicants over additional claims.

We will contact you to seek more information to assist with processing your application or to provide necessary updates about your application.

You can check the status of your application by logging into the Business Victoria Grants Portal.

While we will make every effort to process your application as quickly as possible, the evidence and assessment process required for this grant program means we cannot provide a specific timeframe for applications.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Read the full list of FAQs

Additional FAQs for businesses can also be found on the Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program FAQ page.