Call for Applications: Small Business Grants (Australia)

Small businesses funded through this program will fuel growth through job creation and bring new solutions and ways of doing business into the city. The program aligns to the Economic Development Strategy 2031 ensuring Melbourne is one of the easiest places to start and grow a business and encourage innovation and start-up creation. This program also exists to enhance the City of Melbourne’s reputation for business vitality, diversity and inclusiveness and contributes to the city’s economy and community.

For this program, a ‘small business’ is defined as an organisation which employs less than 20 fulltime or equivalent employees.

Program Objectives 

• The program objectives for this round are to:
  • encourage the establishment and growth of small businesses that:
    • enhance the CoM’s reputation for business innovation, creativity, diversity, and inclusiveness.
    • strengthen the local economy’s resilience, sound business model and long-term financial viability.
    • create employment and investment opportunities.
  • enhance the city’s vitality by:
    • demonstrating a unique point-of-difference.
    • providing a social benefit or impact to the community.
    • having a positive impact on the environment.
    • increasing the occupancy rate of shopfronts across the municipality.

Funding Information

• The program will support applicants with new businesses to the municipality or existing businesses looking to expand or relocate their current offer within the municipality.
• For this grant round applicants choose ONE of following four streams, with up to $25,000 (excl GST) per applicant available for each:
  • Open stream: for any small business operating within the municipality that meets the eligibility criteria and program objectives.
  • Social enterprise stream: For this program, a ‘social enterprise’ is defined as a business that derives most of their income from trade and uses profits to contribute to their social mission.
  • Circular economy stream: for a small business that delivers circular outcomes or will implement circular economy solutions to generate circular outcomes. These are products, services or initiatives that avoid, reduce, or design out waste.
  • Shopfront occupancy stream: for a small business that occupies a ground floor, street-facing commercial shopfront within the municipality that has been vacant for more than four months and meets all other eligibility criteria and program objectives.
    • Key Shopfront Occupancy Focus Areas: an additional $5,000 is available for applicants who occupy a vacant shopfront in one of CoM’s key occupancy focus areas – Docklands and the eastern and western fringes of the Central Business district.

What they will fund?

• Capital improvement costs associated with fit-out of business premises including, but not limited to furniture, cabinetry, joinery, partitioning, flooring, shelving, and painting.
• Website costs including development or enhancements.
• IT equipment costs including the purchasing of hardware (computers, laptops, printers, servers).
• Specialised equipment and software that is directly related to the operation of the new business or as part of the business expansion activity.
• Other expenditure items not listed above where it can be clearly demonstrated there is a significant need for the set up or expansion of the small business.

What they won’t fund?

• Operational expenses which are ongoing costs to run the business, such as rent, utilities, legal costs, marketing, subscriptions, wages and personal expenses.
• Expenditure items incurred prior to the date the business applied for this grant.
• Anything else outside of the agreed budget.
• Any activity that denigrates, excludes or offends parts of the community, is contrary to anti vilification laws, or freedom of speech, or not aligned with Council policies, priorities or values.
• Activities that pollute land, air or water, or destroy or waste non-renewable resources.

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant must:
  • be located within or committed to relocate promptly (within six months of receiving a grant) to the City of Melbourne municipality.
  • have a valid Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • have less than 20 full-time or equivalent employees at the time of applying.
  • be an Australian registered business, sole trader, company, business cooperative or partnership and provide documented evidence of its legal structure.
  • be able to provide evidence of appropriate business insurances.
  • have no outstanding acquittals or debts to the City of Melbourne
  • demonstrate financial viability as evidenced by relevant financial information.
  • Shopfront occupancy stream: provide evidence of a commercial lease (for a minimum length of 3 years) if relocating to City of Melbourne or moving to a larger premises within City of Melbourne.

Ineligibility Criteria

• The program will not support:
  • applicants that have an outstanding debt to City of Melbourne or that have failed to comply with the terms and conditions of any previous funding agreement with City of Melbourne
  • franchisees, subsidiaries of larger companies, unincorporated associations
  • government departments or agencies, foundations or grant making bodies.
  • political organisations or organisations that have a political purpose.
  • current City of Melbourne employees, immediate families and contractors.
  • entities that denigrate, exclude or offend parts of the community.
  • applicants who have already received funding from City of Melbourne for the same activity being requested in this program.

For more information, visit City of Melbourne.