What is the Sustainable Event Business Program?

The Sustainable Event Business Program provides payments of up to $250,000 to major event organisers, hosts and suppliers who have suffered a loss as a result of the recent restrictions that began in late May, and the ongoing viability of their event or business has been significantly affected by the pandemic.

How much will eligible applicants receive under the Sustainable Event Business Program?

Eligible organisers, hosts or suppliers will receive up to a maximum of $250,000 to help them cover the costs of organising, hosting, or supplying to a public event. 

Funding will be determined case by case with regard to the individual business and through financial risk assessment and due diligence checks. 

Who is eligible for the Sustainable Event Business Program?

To be eligible, major event organisers, hosts or suppliers must have had the ongoing viability of their event or business affected as a result the restrictions that began in late May.

Successful applicants must have most of their operations in Victoria, and be of strategic significance to the state’s events sector.

Applicants must have experienced a minimum 50% or more decline in annual turnover in the three months prior to 27 May 2021 compared with the same period in 2019. They will also have had an annual payroll of more than $1.5 million in metropolitan Melbourne or $500,000 in regional Victoria in 2019/20.

Which expenses are ‘eligible’ expenses under this program?

Eligible expenses include reasonable unrecoverable costs directly related to organising, hosting or supplying to an event cancelled or impacted by the Chief Health Officer mandated restrictions in the four weeks following 11.59pm on 27 May 2021, and essential operating costs to maintain the business as a going concern for the relevant period.

What expenses are not eligible under this program?

Expenses that are not eligible include costs deemed to be unrelated to the commercial delivery of the affected event, payments to related parties, distributions or debt payments to related parties, and bonuses or other discretionary payments.

I have applied for another program under the Circuit Breaker Business Support Package. Can I still apply for this program?

Yes. Eligible businesses who have applied for support under the Circuit Breaker Business Support Package may still qualify for a grant under this program. If they receive a grant, the amount they receive will be deducted from their Victorian Events Support Package allocation.

My event has received funding under another Victorian Government program. Can I still apply for the Sustainable Event Business Program?

Yes. Businesses who have applied for or received funding from another Victorian Government business support program can apply for this grant if they meet the eligibility criteria.

However, event and business event organisers who have received funding under the Victorian Government’s Major Events Fund, Business Events Fund or Regional Events Fund are not eligible for a grant under this program.

How do you define an ‘event of strategic significance’ to the events sector in the region or the state?

An ‘event of strategic significance’ refers to an event business that provides services that would be difficult to replace or would otherwise significantly constrain the delivery of events at a regional or state-wide level. A major event for the state or for a region is one that that drives significant visitation and spend relative to other state and regional events.

I am the organiser of a business event. Am I eligible to apply?

Yes. Business event organisers, hosts and suppliers with a 50 per cent or more decline in annual turnover in the three months prior to 27 May 2021 compared with the same period in 2019 as a result of COVID-19 restrictions and a payroll of more than $1.5 million in Melbourne and $500,000 in regional Victoria can apply for this program.