Program guidelines

Business Bushfire Recovery Grant Program Guidelines Word

Business Bushfire Recovery Grant Program Guidelines PDF

The Business Bushfire Recovery Grant program is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements for the Western Victorian Bushfires which commenced in December 2024 (AGRN 1166).

Eligibility criteria

Complete the Pre-Application Eligibility Checker. If your business is potentially eligible for the program, you will receive an email inviting you to submit an application.

To be eligible for the grant, you must:

• be an employing business with fewer than 20 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees and be currently registered with WorkSafe Victoria;
• have an active Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN on and continuously from 16 December 2023;
• be registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST) and have held this registration on and continuously from 16 December 2024;
• be located in an eligible local government area: Ararat, Hindmarsh, Horsham, Northern Grampians, Southern Grampians and West Wimmera; (Know your council? Click Here)
• have a decline of at least $10,000 in ordinary revenue over a three consecutive month period (between 16 December 2024 to 26 April 2025) because of the 2024-25 Western Victoria Bushfires. This decline must be at least 40% of your ordinary revenue, when measured from the ‘benchmark period’ (the same three-month period of the previous year, between 16 December 2023 and 26 April 2024);
• have been actively trading before the bushfires and plan to continue operating in the eligible LGA; and
• not be insolvent or bankrupt.

Additionally:

• Not-for-profit businesses must be registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC) or a similar State/Territory regulatory body.

In exceptional circumstances, applicants who do not meet all the eligibility criteria may still be considered. Check the program guidelines for details.

Eligible local government areas

Businesses located in these local government areas are eligible:

• Ararat
• Hindmarsh
• Horsham
• Northern Grampians
• Southern Grampians
• West Wimmera.

You can check your local government area by visiting know your council .

Grant amount

Eligible businesses will receive a one-off payment of $5,000.

You can use the grant for:

• essential business costs such as utilities, rates, stock replacement and rent;
• seeking financial advice to help with business recovery;
• adjusting the business to be viable in the changed local context following the bushfires;
• expanding the business through targeted marketing and communications; or
• making your business more resilient to future disasters.

Applicants must be able to provide evidence of how grant funds were used. Grant expenditures may be audited and businesses are requested to retain evidence of expenditure.

How to apply

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

• You must use the Pre-Application Eigibility Checker. If your business is potentially eligible for the program, you will be emailed a unique grant application link.
• It is recommended that you complete the Pre-Application Eligibility Checker before you engage a qualified agent.
  Note: Key business information shared through the Pre-Application Eligibility Checker will be populated within your application.
• Once you submit your application, the department will keep you updated on its progress. You can check your application status on the Business Victoria Grants Portal. If you are unable to access the Business Victoria Grants Portal, please contact us on 13 22 15.
• You will receive an email notification about the outcome of your application.

• Once you receive your unique grant application link, make sure you complete all the questions in the application form, and submit it through the Business Victoria Grants Portal.

We will process your application as quickly as possible, however the evidence and assessment process required for this grant program means we cannot provide a specific timeframe for applications.

Applications for this program will close at 4.00 pm 13 November 2025 or earlier if funding allocation is exhausted sooner.

What you need for the grant application form

To apply you will need to provide:

• proof of identity
• a letter from a Qualified Agent

Proof of Identity

You can use one of the following forms of identification:

• Victorian driver licence or learner permit
• Australian passport
• Medicare card
• Foreign passport for those issued with an Australian Visa

If you lost your documents in the bushfires, see I have lost or cannot access my identity documents due to the 2024-25 Western Victoria bushfires what should I do?

Letter from a Qualified Agent

A Qualified Agent (e.g. qualified accountant, registered tax agent or registered BAS agent) must sign a ‘Letter from the Qualified Agent’, which confirms:

• the revenue decline satisfies the $10,000 revenue reduction requirement, and that decline represents at least 40 per cent of ordinary revenue (measured against the benchmark period) for the impacted period.
• they have seen evidence that can be provided to demonstrate the revenue decline;
• the applicant has informed the Qualified Agent that the financial information provided is consistent with ordinary revenue calculations; and
• that the business has fewer than 20 full-time equivalent employees.

The letter must be in the format provided at the application stage and be submitted as part of the application.

It is recommended that you complete the Pre-Application Eligibility Checker before you engage a qualified agent.

If you need any assistance completing your application, please contact Business Victoria 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.

Audit

Your applications and grant expenditure may be audited by the department, the Victorian Government, its representatives or agents, or the relevant Auditor-General for up to four years from the program open date.

Audits may take place before or after funding is provided, to check:

• your eligibility
• the accuracy of information provided in your application
• if you spent the grant according to the program guidelines

Record Keeping

Keep all records of your eligibility for the grant and, if a grant is received, how the funds were spent, for the entire audit period and provide it on request to the department.

If asked by the department, you may need to repay any unspent funds or funds not used according to the guidelines.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Read the full list of FAQs.