Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the Program, a business must:

1. Be located within Victoria; and
2. Be registered as operating in an eligible industry sector identified in the List of Eligible ANZSIC classes (as defined by the ANZSIC class linked to the business’ ABN); and
3. Have incurred direct costs as a result of the July COVID-19 Restrictions and the business cannot predominantly operate remotely; and
4. Have an annual Victorian payroll of up to $10 million in 2019-20 on an ungrouped basis; and
5. Be registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST) on 15 July 2021; and
6. Hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN on and from 15 July 2021; and
7. Be registered with the responsible Federal or State regulator.

For employing businesses only:

1. Be registered with WorkSafe Victoria; and
2. Attest that the business is supporting its workers to access any paid leave entitlements, or that if a person can work from home, to work from home during the July COVID-19 Restrictions, and supporting their casual workers, where possible.

Eligible sectors

For a list of eligible sectors please see the list of eligible ANZSIC classes.

Information for other or previous grant recipients

Businesses that have received a grant under the Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two or the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 are not eligible for a grant under this program.

Businesses that have received assistance through the Business Support Fund, payroll tax rebate/waiver, or other COVID-19 programs may apply for assistance under the Program.

For more information see frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Grant amount

Eligible businesses will receive a grant of $4800.

Information you need for your application

When applying for this grant you will need:

• a valid Australian business number (ABN) for your business in one of these eligible business sectors linked to your ABN registration.
• if you employ people, your WorkCover Employer Number (WEN) or, if this is yet to be issued, a WorkSafe Application Reference Number (WRN)
• a valid proof of identity document (Australian driver licence, Australian Passport, Medicare Card and foreign passport with Australian visa).

Please make sure your ABN information on the Australian Business Register (ABR) is up to date and correct – including ANZSIC class, location and authorised contact details.

Please also make sure that your ASIC registration, or relevant regulator information, is current (where required).

Incomplete or incorrect information may delay your application assessment. Please complete the application correctly, provide all relevant documentation and ensure information on the ABR is up to date.

Assessing your application

We endeavour to process your application and notify you of a successful outcome within 10 business days. There may be delays in notifying you of an outcome if your application:

• does not meet all the eligibility criteria
• does not have correct evidence or documentation
• requires you to make changes
• is a duplicate application for the same business
• has incorrect information, such as ABN, WorkCover Employee Number (WEN) or bank details (for successful applicants)
• does not include current or accurate information registered with relevant regulators or partner agencies, such as the State Revenue Office, Australian Business Register or WorkSafe Victoria.

We will contact you to provide updates on your application or seek additional information to process your application.

We consider the following circumstances when assessing your application:

• any adverse findings by a regulator regarding a business
• if your business is placed under external administration
• if there is a petition to wind up or deregister a company or business
• if your business is or becomes deregistered or unregistered (including cancellation or lapse in registration).

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

Applicants with multiple businesses

You can only apply for one grant per ABN. If you have separate ABNs for your businesses, you must submit separate applications for each ABN. Each business or ABN must satisfy all the eligibility criteria.

Not-for-profit organisations

Not-for-profit organisations that are not registered for GST and have an annual turnover between $75,000 and $150,000 can apply for a grant. To be eligible, your organisation must meet all other eligibility criteria.

How to apply

We are no longer accepting applications for this program.

Applications closed at 11:59pm on Friday 20 August 2021.

If you have submitted an application, check your details on the Australian Business Register website are correct, including ensuring the industry classification (ANZSIC class) linked to your ABN registration correctly captures the business’ primary business activity.

The Victorian Government or our representatives may audit your application, so you will need to produce evidence at the request of the Victorian Government.

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.

Program guidelines

Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two - July Extension Guidelines (PDF 257.93 KB)

Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two - July Extension Guidelines (DOCX 212.5 KB)

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Read the full list of FAQs.

Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two July Extension in languages other than English

For information in languages other than English please see below:

• Hindi — हिन्दी
• Punjabi — ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
• Simplified Chinese — 简体中文
• Traditional Chinese — 繁體中文
• Vietnamese — tiếng Việt