The Business Growth Fit-for-Purpose grants will provide direct funding for tailored projects designed to help distillers take the next step in the development of their business.

Grants aim to:

• Support individual distilleries to build resilience and increase business capability, capacity and efficiency through investment and improvements of on-site infrastructure, sustainability and safety improvements, export capability and marketing.
• Ensure Victoria continues to be a premium producer of distilled alcoholic beverages and remains globally competitive
• Enable Victoria to become a leader in Australian distilled alcoholic beverage production.

Funding of up to $200,000 (GST exclusive) is available to successful applicants.

Successful applicants will be required to make a cash co-contribution of a minimum of 30% or 50% of the total eligible expenditure on the project.

Co-contribution will be:

• 30% cash co-contribution if no more than 10,000 litres of alcohol produced in the 2023/24 financial year
• 50% cash co-contribution if greater than 10,000 litres of alcohol produced in the 2023/24 financial year

Co-contributions must be cash. In-kind contributions such as labour are not included. Any additional or ineligible costs associated with the overall project must be met by the grant recipient.

Grant funding may be used for the following types of projects:

• Plant and equipment to facilitate growth and competitiveness of businesses to meet demand and improve cost
• Technology adoption (excluding on-going maintenance and service support costs) to increase business efficiency
• Items that support product diversification and new product development
• Items that build on the Hazardous Areas and Dangerous Goods Audit (HADGA) or general safety improvements at the distillery not eligible under the HADGA
• Items that enhance sustainability including electrification, greenhouse gas emission reduction, energy saving, waste reduction, water reduction
• Activities that increase export capability
• Marketing activities that increase consumer awareness of your product

Other eligible expenditure may be accepted on a per case basis.

Applicant eligibility

In order to apply, applicants must:

• Have a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
• Be registered as a business in Victoria
• Be a legal entity
• Own at least one still with a capacity of fifty (50) litres or more
• Hold a valid ATO Manufacturers Licence to produce distilled alcoholic beverages
• Hold a current General, Producers or Remote Sellers Lliquor Licence issued by Liquor Control Victoria
• Be able to meet the agreed (minimum 30-50 percent) cash co-contribution requirement

Who is not eligible?

• Producers of spirits that do not distil their own alcoholic beverages
• Government departments or agencies and local councils
• Unincorporated associations and franchisees
• Applicants that have applied for another state government grant for the same project
• Applicants not based in Victoria

• Email: grantsinfo@deeca.vic.gov.au