Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two July Extension

The Victorian Government has now announced its Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two July Extension. This means that Victorian businesses who did not apply for the previous grants, or businesses who have since become eligible, can now apply for the equivalent of the July Top-Up Payments.

This program provides grants of $4,800 to employing and non-employing eligible businesses, depending on their industry sector.

Applications are due by 11:59pm on Friday the 13th August 2021.  

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, businesses must:

  • Be located within Victoria
  • Operate in an eligible sector listed in the list of eligible ANZSIC classes for this program
  • Have incurred direct costs because of the restrictions and cannot fully operate remotely
  • Have an annual Victorian payroll of up to $10 million in 2019-20 on an ungrouped basis
  • Have been registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST) on Thursday 27 May 2021
  • Hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at Thursday 27 May 2021
  • Be registered with the responsible Federal or State regulator

Additionally, employing businesses must:

  • Be registered with WorkSafe Victoria
  • Attest that the business is supporting its workers to access any paid leave entitlements, or that if a person can work from home, to work from home during the circuit breaker action, and supporting their casual workers, where possible

Eligible Sectors

For a list of eligible sectors please see the list of eligible ANZSIC classes.

Important Information for your Application

When applying for this grant you will need:

  • A valid Australian business number (ABN) for your business in one of these eligible business sectors. The ANZSIC class linked to your ABN registration must be one of these eligible sectors
  • If you employ people, your WorkCover Employer Number (WEN) or, if this is yet to be issued, a WorkSafe Application Reference Number (WRN)
  • A valid proof of identity document (Australian driver licence, Australian Passport, Medicare Card and Australian visa information and foreign passport)

Please make sure your ABN registration information is current, along with ASIC registration, or relevant regulator information where required.

Incomplete or incorrect information may delay your application assessment. Please complete the application correctly and provide all relevant documentation.

Assessing your Application

Business Victoria aims to review your application and notify you if it is successful within 10 business days. They will also update you on your application, or contact you if they need additional information to assist with processing your application. If there is any delay in hearing about the outcome of your application, please check if your application:

  • Does not meet all the eligibility criteria
  • Does not have correct evidence or documentation
  • Requires you to make changes
  • Is a duplicate application for the same business
  • Has incorrect information, such as ABN, WorkCover Employee Number (WEN) or bank details (for successful applicants)
  • Does not include current or accurate information registered with relevant regulators or partner agencies, such as the State Revenue Office, Australian Business Register or WorkSafe Victoria

Business Victoria will consider the following circumstances when assessing your application:

  • Any adverse findings by a regulator regarding a business
  • If your business is placed under external administration
  • If there is a petition to wind up or deregister a company or business
  • If your business is or becomes deregistered or unregistered (including cancellation or lapse in registration)

You can check the status of your application by logging into the Business Victoria Grants Portal.

Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 July Extension

Additionally, the Victorian Government has announced a Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 July Extension payment. This allows hospitality business who were affected by the Victorian COVID-19 restrictions, announced on the 15 July 2021, a one off support payment. This payment is only eligible to businesses who did not previously receive the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund in June 2021.

The program offers grants of $7,200, and businesses can apply for the grant for each eligible premises.

Business Victoria should email a grant application link to those liquor licensees with an eLicence email address registered with the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR). Liquor licensees without an eLicence email address must set one up on their VCGLR Portal by 11:59pm on Monday 9 August 2021 in order to be sent their link.

Grant applications close at 11:59pm on Friday 13th August 2021. Exceptions to this date may apply if you have been asked by Business Victoria is submit your application after this date.

Eligibility Criteria

Liquor licensees who have received their application form link from Business Victoria are eligible to apply.

To be eligible, applicants must also:

  • Operate a licensed bar, restaurant, pub, club, hotel, café or reception centre that is registered to serve food and alcohol (Premises) located in Victoria on 15 July 2021
  • Hold a general or late night (general), full club, restaurant and cafe, producer’s or on-premises or late night (on-premises) liquor licence as of 15 July 2021
  • Provide a Class 2 or 3 Service Sector Certificate of Registration under the Food Act 1984 that is valid in 2021 for serving food on the same premises
  • Be registered for goods and services tax (GST) on or from 15 July 2021
  • Hold an Australian business number (ABN) and have held that ABN at 15 July 2021
  • Be registered with the responsible Commonwealth or Victorian regulator

Businesses who hold a food certificate, but not a liquor license, are not eligible for a grant under this program. Furthermore businesses who hold a liquor license, but are unable to provide a food certificate for the same premises, are not eligible to receive this grant.

Victorian businesses will not be eligible to receive this grant if they have received financial support from any of the following programs:

  • Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 for the same premises
  • Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two
  • Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two July Extension

Important to Note – Employing Businesses:

For employing businesses, the applicant must confirm that they are supporting their workers (including casual workers, where possible) to access any paid leave entitlements. Or, that if a person can work from home, that they are to work from home during the Victorian Government COVIDSafe Restrictions.

Applying for this Grant

To apply for this program, you can apply online through the form link sent by Business Victoria. This email will be sent to the liquor licensee’s eLicense email address.

Click here to create an eLicense email address through the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation Liquor Portal. Reminder – this account needs to be created by Monday 9th August 2021.

Only one application is permitted per premises. However, a business must submit a separate application for each premises if it has more than one premises under the same ABN.

Grant applications close on 11:59pm on Friday 13 August 2021. If you have been asked by Business Victoria to submit an application after this date, exceptions may apply.

Small Business Covid Hardship Fund

The Government has announced they are establishing a new $85 million fund to support small businesses who previously have not been eligible for existing grants.

Small businesses with a payroll of up to $10 million who have experienced a 70% or greater reduction in revenue will be eligible for grants of up to $5,000.

We will share further information as it is released by the government. For further information on the Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two July Extension or the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 July Extension, please click on the relevant hyperlinks.

Alternatively, if you need further assistance the Davidsons team are here to support you. To get in touch with the Davidsons team contact us on info@davidsons.com.au or call us on (03) 5221 6399.

Disclaimer: this information is of a general nature and should not be viewed as representing financial advice. Users of this information are encouraged to seek further advice if they are unclear as to the meaning of anything contained in this article. Davidsons accepts no responsibility for any loss suffered as a result of any party using or relying on this article.