Why did the Victorian Government launch the COVIDSafe Deep Cleaning Rebate?

The COVIDSafe Deep Cleaning Rebate will support small and medium-sized businesses where a person suspected or confirmed to have coronavirus (COVID-19) has been on the premises or worksite when they may have been infectious.

The rebate will help eligible businesses cover the cost of hiring a professional cleaning service to conduct a ‘deep clean’ or ‘decontamination clean’ of their site. This will encourage effective management of workplace transmission and avoid large out-of-pocket cleaning expenses for businesses.

What businesses are eligible to apply for the COVIDSafe Deep Cleaning Rebate?

To be eligible for the rebate, businesses must:

  • operate from a worksite in Victoria where a person suspected or confirmed to have coronavirus (COVID-19) has been on the premises or worksite when they may have been infectious.
  • have undertaken a ‘deep clean’ or ‘decontamination clean’ of the affected worksite by a professional cleaning service in accordance with Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) guidelines on coronavirus (COVID-19) ‘deep cleans’ or ‘decontamination cleans’ (DHHS COVID-19 Guidelines)
  • have evidence of the expenditure incurred for the cost of the decontamination cleaning at the affected worksite and payment of the expenditure
  • hold a valid Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • have an annual payroll of less than $3 million in 2019-20 on an ungrouped basis
  • be registered with WorkSafe if employing people
  • be registered as a trading business with the responsible federal or state regulator.

Businesses that have received funding from other initiatives under the Victorian Government’s Economic Survival Package and Business Support Package are eligible to apply for this program.

Why must my business be registered with WorkSafe if employing people?

Registration with WorkSafe shows that your business is employing people and operates in Victoria.

How do I register with the responsible federal or state regulator?

What evidence do I need to prove my business had an annual payroll of less than $3 million in 2019-20 on an ungrouped basis?

You are not required to provide evidence of this – the State Revenue Office (SRO) will verify if your business had a payroll of less than $3 million for 2019-20.

For some businesses, you may need to complete your annual payroll tax reconciliation, which is due by 21 July 2020, to enable the SRO to assess that you had a payroll of less than $3 million.

Can I apply for a rebate if I have been closed due to restrictions, and have not had staff on-site?

No, only businesses that meet the eligibility criteria of this program can access this rebate.

Does the rebate apply to certain industries or business types only?

All businesses that fulfil the criteria, regardless of their industry or business type, will be eligible for the rebate.

What level of funding is available through the grant?

Businesses can access up to $10,000 per separate event of onsite cleaning. This will be provided as a grant of up to 80 per cent of total cleaning costs.

What evidence will my business need to provide to show I have undertaken the deep or decontamination clean as instructed by DHHS?

Applicants must provide:

  • an attestation that a person suspected or confirmed to have coronavirus (COVID-19) has been on the premises or worksite when they may have been infectious. and
  • if using an external professional cleaning service, itemised invoices or other evidence of payment for the total amount paid for cleaning the worksite under the DHHS COVID-19 Guidelines; or
  • if using an internal professional cleaning service carried out by staff usually engaged or employed by the business and who have not been required to isolate, evidence of itemised, internal costs incurred for cleaning the worksite under the DHHS COVID-19 Guidelines in addition to business as usual cleaning activities.

What is a ‘decontamination clean’?

A decontamination clean includes two elements of cleaning and then disinfection of your site. Please refer to the DHHS COVID-19 Guidelines for more information about what is required.

Am I obligated to choose a specific cleaning service to conduct the decontamination clean?

It is up to the business to choose the cleaning service that conducts the deep or decontamination clean of their site. However, the cleaning must be conducted by a professional cleaning service to the standard of the DHHS COVID-19 Guidelines.

Can my business use an internal cleaning service to conduct the decontamination clean?

Internal cleaning staff can be used to conduct the decontamination of your site if they are employed by the business as a professional cleaning service and have not been required to isolate. The cleaning must be to the standard of the DHHS COVID-19 Guidelines, and you will be required to provide itemised costing for the cleaning as evidence that it has been undertaken.

I require multiple cleaning services to conduct my deep or decontamination clean. Can I still apply for a rebate?

Yes, but you will be required to provide evidence, including itemised invoices or other evidence of amounts paid for cleaning, for each professional cleaning service. The grant amount is capped at $10,000 per decontamination clean regardless of the number of cleaning services you choose to use.

If my business undertook a deep clean due to someone onsite being suspected or confirmed  to have had coronavirus (COVID-19) before  this program opened, can I now apply for a rebate?

Yes, you can apply for deep cleanings that have occurred prior to this program opening as long as your business meets all the eligibility criteria.

How long will you take to process my application?

We will endeavour to process all applications within 10 business days of the application being received.

Processing of applications may be delayed if:

  • the requested supporting documentation is not included in the application
  • the submitted documentation is incorrect
  • the State Revenue Office is unable to verify if the business had an annual payroll of less than $3 million in payroll tax for the year 2019-2020
  • the application has been returned to you for amendments
  • more than one application has been submitted for the same business
  • you entered incorrect details on the application form – for example, incorrect ABN or banking details.

How can I find out the status of my application?

Your application will appear in the Business Victoria Grants Portal with one of five statuses:

  • Draft – you have started an application
  • Submitted – you have accepted the terms and conditions and submitted
  • Under assessment – your application has been received and is being assessed by the Business Victoria team
  • Successful – your application was successful
  • Unsuccessful – your application was unsuccessful.

You will receive notifications as your application progresses, after you submit it. We cannot contact you while your application remains in ‘draft’, as you haven’t yet provided permission to the Department to use your contact details.