Eligibility

To be eligible for a grant, a Business Group must:

• represent a membership of Victorian businesses located in local government areas deemed eligible for assistance under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement
• be based in Victoria or be the Victorian chapter of a national organisation
• be a not-for-profit member organisation with the core purpose of acting for its members
• hold a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be registered with the responsible federal or state regulator.

Unincorporated organisations and organisations with an ABN registered after 1 November 2021 will be required to have a local council enter into the grant agreement on their behalf.

Grant amount

Grants of $20,000 and $50,000 (excl GST) are available to eligible Business Groups:

• $20,000 grants (excl GST) are available to eligible Business Groups that make a successful application.
• $50,000 grants (excl GST) are available to eligible Business Groups that support a membership of businesses which experienced Acute Impact in the Victorian floods.
  We may consider an Acute Impact grant where the Business Group can attest that:
  • more than half of its member businesses have been severely or extremely impacted by the Victorian floods
    OR
  • the proposed project will be delivered in a geographic area where more than half of local businesses have been severely or extremely impacted by the Victorian floods.

The grant will be paid in 2 payments as follows:

• 80% when the grant agreement is signed
• 20% once the project is completed and the final report has been submitted.

Grants will be awarded on a first-in, first-served basis. Applications will close on Tuesday 31 October or earlier if funds are exhausted.

How the grants must be used

Grant funds must be used solely to support flood-related recovery activities for members by undertaking activities such as:

• supporting and encouraging flood-impacted businesses to collaborate on business activities
• reactivation and rebuilding of the local economy in flood-affected areas
• enabling flood-impacted businesses to build capacity and resilience
• business skill development, networking, and resource sharing
• upgrading digital channels to better connect with flood-impacted members
• helping members adapt to a flood recovery operating environment
• supporting the advancement of flood-impacted Victorian business communities
• collaboration between tourism organisations or other Business Groups.

The program of activities may be virtual or face-to-face, and take any format, for example:

• ‘buy local’ campaigns or events
• networking and collaboration opportunities
• workshops and short courses
• online training and webinars
• employee skill and capability development
• in-language business events
• app licensing or website development
• cyber security upskilling (to protect data during an emergency)
• jobs summits or business expos.

These examples are not exhaustive. Groups are encouraged to submit a proposal that addresses the needs of their local business community.

Key dates

Applications close at 11:59pm on Tuesday 31 October, or before if funds are exhausted.

There are 3 assessment periods under the program:

• June (applications submitted before 10 June) – outcome expected July
• August (applications submitted before 10 August) – outcome expected September
• October (applications submitted before 31 October) – outcome expected November

We will endeavour to advise applicants of their outcome in the month indicated but there may be delays in providing you with an outcome if your application is incomplete or does not meet the eligibility criteria.

Applications will be assessed on a first-in, first-served basis.

Projects must be delivered between July 2023 and November 2024.

How to apply

You can apply using the ‘Apply now’ links at the top and bottom of this page.

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

In your application, you must include a capability statement that outlines:

• core competencies and experience of the Business Group
• the issues for local businesses that will be addressed through the funded activities.

Please answer all questions in the application form, including addressing the selection criteria and providing a project budget and timeline. You may add multiple attachments to the application form.

More information

For further assistance please email us at businessrecovery@business.vic.gov.au or contact Business Victoria.  

See Business grants and support for information on other support and resources.

Program guidelines

Business Groups Flood Recovery Grants – Program guidelines (PDF 317.16 KB)

Business Groups Flood Recovery Grants – Program guidelines (DOCX 796.04 KB)

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Read the full list of frequently asked questions (FAQs).