Accessibility | Skip to primary navigation | Skip to main content | Skip to footer |


What's on City of Melbourne


Business support services

Business support services grants aim to help with the delivery of training and development initiatives, designed specifically to improve the performance of small businesses, primarily located in the City of Melbourne municipality. 

Open to: business support groups (member based organisations such as a national association)

Grants for: delivery of training and development initiatives

Grant value: up to $10,000.

About Business support services grants

A business support group is a member-based organisation that:  

  • comprises a group of small businesses having common products / services or co-located within a precinct in the city
  • has a majority of its members located within the municipality.

Examples of a business support group include a city precinct group and an industry association. A business support group can apply annually for a business support services grant, provided it can demonstrate the development of a new initiative / program and be subject to the satisfactory completion of agreed performance measures of the previous grant. 

What can I claim?

Business support services grants will only assist with the following expenditure items:

  • Project initiative – the costs associated with the delivery of a new and innovative project.
  • Training and development initiatives – the costs associated with the delivery of training and development related activities designed to improve the performance of small businesses in the City of Melbourne municipality.
  • Office establishment – the cost associated with the set-up of a new office (only applicable to a national association or Victorian / Melbourne chapter of a national association).

Business support service grants will not support expenditure items relating to general operational expenses and marketing or networking activities.

Assessment criteria

Each application will be assessed against the Small Business Grants objectives and assessment criteria.

An assessment report is prepared for consideration by an external independent review panel (IRP). The IRP will consider the conforming applications on a competitive and merit basis, and make recommendations to a specific council committee for approval. 

Applications that offer the most valuable contribution to the achievement of the program objectives and those that are consistent with Council's strategies will be offered grants. Preference will be given to businesses that:

  • demonstrate that the proposed initiative can deliver significant tangible outcomes to their members and small businesses located within the City of Melbourne
  • demonstrate that the proposed initiative is well-researched, planned and financially viable
  • deliver measurable economic benefits to the City of Melbourne
  • demonstrate sustainable business practices
  • preferably are in one of the City of Melbourne's key target industry sectors.

On average, applications will be notified of the assessment outcome three months from the closing date of the application. All decisions are final. There will be no review process. However, unsuccessful applicants are eligible to re-apply.

See previous business support services grant recipients.

Before you apply

Please ensure you have read the Small Business Grant guidelines before you apply:

How to apply

See Small Business Grants.