Licensed Hospitality Grant 

Liquor licensees who are in need of support during COVID-19 read on!

• Operate one or more licensed bars, restaurants, pubs, clubs, hotels, cafes or reception centres in Victoria that serve food and alcohol as of 13 September 2020.
• Hold a general or late night (general), full club, restaurant and cafe, or on-premises or late night (on-premises) liquor licence as of 13 September 2020.
• Have been operating prior to 13 September 2020 and intend to continue to operate under the Licensee’s liquor licence.
• Have a food business holding a Class 2 or 3 Service Sector Certificate of Registration under the Food Act 1984 (Vic) serving food on the same premises.
• If you have more than one venue operating under your ABN you can apply per venue.

How to apply;

You should receive an invitation to apply from Business Victoria, at the email address you used to sign up for your eLicence on your Liquor Portal account.

Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package

Are you a restaurant, pub or club and haven’t applied for the Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Grant?

Click for Vic

The Click for Vic website has been created to help promote travel in Victoria and to support businesses in the tourism sector.

Advertisements are free and provide a good opportunity to advertise and support local business.

If you haven’t created a listing, we would strongly encourage you to!

Upcoming Grants

The following grants are available to eligible businesses affected by the July 2020 lockdown.

The full details on eligibility & funding are still to be announced.

Licensed Hospitality Business

Funding Available: up to $30,000 depending on location and capacity.

The grant will be available to licensed pubs, clubs, hotels, bars, restaurants and reception centres.

Eligible businesses will also get their liquor license fees waived until 2021.

Outdoor Hospitality Support

Funding Available: $5,000 to adapt outdoor dining spaces and entertainment areas such as the purchase of umbrellas, furniture etc.

The grant will be available to Restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs

Sole Trader Support Fund

Funding Available: $3,000 to sole traders who operate from a commercial premises or location where they are the tenant or licensee.

The grant will be available to businesses such as, retail, accommodation and food services, creative and media, hairdressing, gyms, events, education and training.

Victoria – Round 3 Business Support Fund Grants

Opening date: 18th September 2020

The Victorian Government has announced the third round of the Business Support Fund Grants.

Businesses in Victoria can access grants between $10,000 to $20,000 based on their annual payroll and the following criteria:

To be eligible you must meet the below criteria:

• be a participant in the Commonwealth Government’s JobKeeper Payment scheme
• employ people
• be registered with WorkSafe on 30 June 2020
• have an annual payroll of less than $10 million in 2019-20
• be registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST) as at 30 June 2020
• hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at 30 June 2020
• be registered with the responsible federal or state regulator.

Available Funding;

The amount of the grant is dependent on your annual payroll as follows:

• $10,000 for annual payroll less than $650,000
• $15,000 for annual payroll between $650,000 to $3 million
• $20,000 for annual payroll between $3 million to $10 million

Please contact us for further information.

Commercial Landlord Hardship Fund – VIC Only

The Victorian Government is offering grants of up to $3,000 per tenancy to eligible small private, individual and joint-owner landlords, who are facing financial hardship after reducing rent for their tenants.

Each grant amount will be equal to the amount of the rent waiver provided to the tenant, up to $3,000 per eligible tenancy

This fund will be open for applications from 21 August 2020 for eight weeks or until funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

Grant Opening Date: 21 August 2020

Grant Closing Date: Eight weeks from opening or until funds are exhausted

Landlords can apply if they meet all the criteria.

• The applicant must have total taxable landholding of less than $1 million as shown by the 2020 State Revenue Office Land Tax Assessment.
• The applicant must be a private individual (i.e. a person) or joint landlords who are private individuals (i.e. not ownership through Self-Managed Superannuation Fund, Trust or any other incorporated entity).
• The applicant is a landlord (or are landlords) to one or more properties where a tenant is eligible for Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme CTRS in Victoria.
• The applicant has provided rent relief to the tenant in accordance with the current regulations (and as evidenced in the current lease agreement) that must be at least 30 percent of total rent payable, of which at least 50 percent of the rent relief is in the form of a waiver for the equivalent of a minimum three-month period: before the date of commencement of this Fund; or after the date of the commencement of this Fund.
• The applicant must be in financial hardship, or about to be in financial hardship, due to reducing rent for the relevant CTRS-eligible tenant.

Further Reductions to Land Tax

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Victorian Government has announced further land tax relief for landlords until 31 December 2020, in line with their extension to the commercial and residential tenancy relief scheme. 

• Landlords of residential and commercial properties who provide a 50% or more outright rent waiver of at least 3 months’ rent to eligible tenants can claim a 50% waiver of the property’s 2020 land tax and defer the remaining tax payment to 31 March 2021.
• Owner-occupiers of commercial properties can obtain a 25% waiver of the property’s 2020 land tax and defer the remaining tax payment to 31 March 2021, if their business meets either of the following conditions;

1. For a licensed pub, club or restaurant who has a general, full club or on-premises liquor licence:

• The annual turnover of the premises was no greater than $50 million in either the 2018-19 or 2019-20 financial year, and
• The premises turnover has reduced by at least 30% since March 2020.

2. For all other businesses:

• Annual aggregated turnover was no greater than $50 million in either the 2018-19 or 2019-20 financial year, and
• They are eligible for and participating in, the JobKeeper Payment scheme.

Southern Border Small Business Support Grant – NSW Only

The NSW Goverment has released a grant to assist those affected by the COVID-19 restrictions.

The grant can be used to meet unavoidable operating expenses, including utilities, salaries and rent, seeking financial, legal or other advice to support business, developing the business through marketing and communications activities or other supporting activities relating to the operation of the business.

Grant Opening Date:  8th September 2020

Grant Closing Date:    18th October 2020

The grant is available in Two tiers

First Tier – $5,000.00

Criteria

• Small Businesses suffered at least 30% decline in turnover since 8th July due to border closure.
• Decline Test: a decline in turnover of at least 30 per cent since 8 July 2020 compared to a period of at least two weeks between 30 March 2020 – 7 July 2020 inclusive.
• Gross wages for 2019/20 financial year needs to be below $900,000
• Annual Turnover needs to be more than $75,000

Tier 2 – $10,000

Criteria

• Small Businesses suffered at least 75% decline in turnover since 8th July due to border closure.
• Decline Test: a decline in turnover of at least 75 per cent since 8 July 2020 compared to a period of at least two weeks between 30 March 2020 – 7 July 2020 inclusive.
• Gross wages for 2019/20 financial year needs to be below $900,000
• Annual Turnover needs to be more than $75,000
• Business should have less than 20 FTE staff

On 4 June 2020, the Australian Government announced HomeBuilder to provide eligible owner-occupiers (including first home buyers) with a grant of $25,000 to build a new home, substantially renovate an existing home or buy an off-the-plan home/new home.

While the eligible contract must be signed between 4 June 2020 and 31 December 2020 (inclusive), construction need not commence prior to 31 December 2020. However, it must commence within three months of the contract date and construction cannot have commenced before 4 June 2020.

Three month extension for constuction commencement in Victoria

In light of the introduction of Stage 4 restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne (effective from 2 August 2020) and Stage 3 restrictions in regional Victoria (effective from 5 August 2020), the Commissioner of State Revenue will exercise his discretion under the National Partnership Agreement to provide a blanket extension of 3 months to the construction commencement requirement for the HomeBuilder Grant.

This means that all applicants for the HomeBuilder Grant in Victoria have 6 months from the signing of the eligible HomeBuilder contract, to commence construction. The Commissioner does not have discretion to grant any extensions beyond this additional 3 month extension.

Victoria – Business Support Fund

Businesses within metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire that are affected by the return to Stay at Home restrictions may be eligible for a one-off, $5,000 grant under the Business Support Fund – Expansion program.

To be eligible you must meet the below criteria:

• operate a business located in metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire
• be a participant in the Commonwealth Government’s JobKeeper Payment scheme
• employ people
• be registered with WorkSafe on 30 June 2020
• have an annual payroll of less than $3 million in 2019-20 on an ungrouped basis
• be registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST) as at 30 June 2020
• hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at 30 June 2020
• be registered with the responsible Federal or State regulator.

Applications for the grant close on 19th August 2020 and includes the following areas;

• Banyule
• Hume
• Moreland
• Bayside
• Kingston
• Mornington Peninsula
• Boroondara
• Knox
• Nillumbik
• Brimbank
• Manningham
• Port Phillip
• Cardinia
• Maribyrnong
• Stonnington
• Casey
• Maroondah
• Whitehorse
• Darebin
• Melbourne
• Whittlesea
• Frankston
• Melton
• Wyndham
• Glen Eira
• Monash
• Yarra
• Greater Dandenong
• Moonee Valley
• Yarra Ranges
• Hobsons Bay
• Mitchel Shire

New South Wales – Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Grant

Closing Date: 16th August 2020

Funding Available: Between $500 to $3,000

The Objective of the Grant:

This grant helps small businesses meet the costs of safely reopening or up-scaling operations. These expenses include, but are not limited to:

• Fit-out changes and temporary physical changes (for example, plastic barriers at checkouts)
• Staff training and counselling
• Business advice and continuity planning
• Cleaning products and additional cleaning services
• Additional equipment necessary to comply with social distancing or other public health measures
• Marketing, communications and advertising
• Digital solutions (for example, e-commerce or business websites).

This grant can only be used for purchases of eligible expenses made from 1 July 2020, and only where no other government support is available.

For more information

Queensland – Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant Program

Closing Date: When the funding runs out

Funding Available: Between $2,000 to $10,000

The Objective of the Grant:

The objective of this program is to support small businesses subject to closure or highly impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown restrictions announced by the Queensland Government, to adapt and sustain their operations, and build resilience.

The program aims to see small and micro businesses:

• Prepare for the safe resumption of trading in the post COVID-19 recovery
• Continue to meet operating costs
• Access digital technologies to rebuild business operations and transition to a new way of doing business
• Respond to online opportunities, where possible, to sustain employment and maintain potential for longer-term growth
• Upskill and reskill business owners and staff to benefit from new technologies or business models
• Embrace business diversification to adapt and sustain operations
• Create or retain employment.

For more information

Dairy Farming Business Grants

The Energy Efficient Communities Program will assist businesses and community organisations to reduce greenhouse gas emission, improve energy efficiency practices and technologies and better manage energy

Funding Available: Between $5,000 to $20,000

The closing date: 17th August 2020

Timeframe: Applicants will have18 months to complete the project after grant approval.

Grant Objective:

• Replacing existing equipment with higher efficiency equipment
• Installing or replacing a component to help an existing system run more efficiently (for example installing solar pre-heating for a hot water system, installing a variable speed drive on a vacuum pump, installing heat recovery from milk cooling equipment to pre-heat hot water, installing remote monitoring equipment for water storage or pasture condition)
• Energy audits
• Investment feasibility studies for energy efficiency upgrades
• Monitoring of energy consumption and emissions.
• Carry out on-farm energy audits

Eligible Expenditures:

• An energy audit of your site or part of your site
• Costs related to feasibility studies
• Purchase or hire of equipment to measure, monitor and record energy use
• Purchase of equipment to replace existing equipment, where the new equipment is higher efficiency, and costs to decommission, remove and dispose of the old equipment item
• Purchase of equipment or components to help an existing system run more efficiently
• Design, and reasonable installation costs of eligible equipment
• Commissioning or tuning of equipment installed or modified as part of the project, and any related equipment that is affected by the project
• Building permits or approval costs to install equipment, where required.