Deadline Date: April 10, 2026
The Colac Otway Shire Council has announced its Business Grant Program to revitalise the shopping strips in the commercial retail areas of towns across the Shire.
The program focuses on improving commercial building facades that are visible from the street, including exterior painting of retail business building facades, cleaning existing facades, removal or replacement of redundant signage, air conditioning units and hoardings, replacement of signage in disrepair, minor repairs, maintenance or reinstatement of missing elements, minor repairs to façade tile or stone accents, minor repairs to structural façade elements and awnings, and new, repaired or replaced verandahs.
The Building Façade Improvement Program assists businesses and commercial property owners in improving the visual appeal of commercial buildings and contributing to more attractive shopping strips across the region. Funding under the program ranges from $500 to a maximum of $3,000. All grants require a dollar-for-dollar matching contribution, which may be provided through cash or in-kind support. Any in-kind contribution must relate directly to the delivery of the project.
Only one application is allowed per property. If a property owner submits applications for multiple properties and demand exceeds available funding, priority may be given to owners who have submitted a single application. Funding through the program is competitive, and submitting an application does not guarantee approval. Applications must be submitted through the SmartyGrants system, and projects cannot commence until the funding agreement has been signed. Requests for retrospective funding are not eligible.
Eligible applicants include property owners, lessees or business operators whose commercial premises are located within designated commercial areas of towns in the Colac Otway Shire. The premises must have a street frontage. Applicants must not have an overdue acquittal report from a previous grant round.
Certain individuals and organisations are not eligible to apply. These include councillors, council staff, and organisations associated with activities considered inappropriate, such as illegal activities, tobacco-related activities, offensive or sexually explicit material, discrimination, human rights violations, political parties, or gambling.
For more information, visit Colac Otway Shire Council.
