Grants up to $50,000 to support innovative start-ups and small businesses to grow, expand, or activate shopfronts that drive economic and social impact in Melbourne.
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What is the Business Growth and Impact Grants (BGIG)?
The City of Melbourne’s Business Growth & Impact Grants (BGIG) program supports innovative start-ups and small businesses that drive economic activity, social impact, and creative vibrancy within the municipality.
The program aims to help businesses grow, relocate, or activate new shopfronts, ultimately strengthening Melbourne’s reputation as a global city of enterprise and innovation.
There are four grant streams available:
- Start-up – For early-stage, market-ready innovations with local or global potential.
- Expansion – For established businesses launching new products or expanding within the municipality.
- Social Impact – For enterprises creating measurable social or environmental change.
- Shopfront Occupancy – For businesses activating long-vacant street-level shopfronts.
Business Growth and Impact Grants level of support
Eligible applicants can apply for grants ranging from:
- Minimum funding: $10,000
- Maximum funding: $50,000
Co-contribution requirements apply depending on the requested amount:
- $10,000–$25,000: No co-contribution required.
- $25,001–$50,000: 25% co-contribution required.
- Example: If requesting $40,000, the applicant must contribute $10,000 towards the project.
Funding is provided in three instalments:
- 50% on signing the funding agreement
- 25% upon progress report approval
- 25% upon final acquittal (within 30 days of submission).
Business Growth and Impact Grants important dates
- Applications close: Monday, 1 December 2025, 12pm AEDT
- Assessment period: December 2025 – February 2026
- Notifications: March 2026
- Register your interest with GrantHelper
Business Growth and Impact Grants objectives
The BGIG aim to strengthen Melbourne’s position as a city of innovation, enterprise, and opportunity by:
- Supporting business growth and resilience through funding that helps start-ups and small businesses scale, diversify, or launch new products and services.
- Encouraging local activation by attracting new and expanding businesses into the City of Melbourne municipality, particularly in vacant or underutilised shopfronts.
- Fostering social and environmental impact by backing enterprises that deliver measurable community benefit and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Driving innovation and competitiveness across key industry sectors by supporting projects with high potential for job creation, investment attraction, and long-term sustainability.
- Building a vibrant and inclusive local economy where creativity, entrepreneurship, and social purpose thrive together.
Projects and expenditure eligible for Business Growth and Impact Grants support
Eligible Projects
Projects must clearly demonstrate how they will contribute to business growth, activation, or measurable community benefit within the City of Melbourne. Eligible projects must align with one of the four program streams below.
1. Start-up Stream
Supports early-stage, market-ready innovations that have strong local or global potential.
Eligible projects may include:
- Launching a new business or product to market
- Commercialising an innovation or prototype
- Undertaking validation, testing, or pilot activities
- Building operational capacity to achieve scalability
2. Expansion Stream
Assists established businesses to expand or diversify within the municipality.
Eligible projects may include:
- Launching a new product or service line
- Expanding operations or relocating to a larger facility in the City of Melbourne
- Investing in new equipment, technology, or systems that increase productivity and job creation
3. Social Impact Stream
Supports businesses that create measurable social or environmental outcomes.
Eligible projects may include:
- Establishing or growing a certified social enterprise (e.g. B Corp, Social Traders, People & Planet First)
- Delivering new initiatives that improve community wellbeing, inclusion, or environmental sustainability
- Expanding business models that address social or environmental challenges
4. Shopfront Occupancy Stream
Encourages activation of long-vacant street-level shopfronts in the municipality.
Eligible projects may include:
- Leasing and fit-out of a retail or hospitality space that has been vacant for at least six months
- Creating a new business presence that enhances street activity and local engagement
- Collaborations between multiple businesses or creatives to activate a shared space
To be considered eligible, projects must:
- Be financially viable and capable of completion within 12 months of funding agreement
- Align with at least three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Deliver tangible economic, environmental, or social benefits for the City of Melbourne
Ineligible Expenditures
The following activities and costs will not be funded under this program:
- Ongoing operating expenses such as rent, wages, utilities, or insurance
- Subscriptions, memberships, or travel costs
- Vehicles and vehicle-related expenses
- Marketing, advertising, or promotional costs unrelated to the funded project
- Retrospective costs (expenses incurred before submitting the application)
- Projects or activities outside the approved proposal or budget
- Costs not directly linked to delivering measurable project outcomes
Other Business Growth and Impact Grants important details that you will need to know
Organisations eligible for Business Growth and Impact Grants support
Eligible applicants must:
- Hold a valid ABN
- Employ fewer than 20 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff
- Have appropriate insurance coverage
- Be financially viable
- Be based in or committed to relocating to the City of Melbourne municipality
Relocation requirement: The guidelines specify relocation within 6 months of receiving a grant, while the application form states within 3 months of notification. Applicants should confirm the correct timeframe directly with the City of Melbourne.
See the guidelines for full details of organisational requirements.
Business Growth and Impact Grants assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed against the following weighted criteria:
- Business Overview (20%) – Describe your business concept, key team members, target market, competitive advantage, and current development stage.
- Strategic Alignment (20%) – Show how your project supports the City of Melbourne’s goals for innovation, activation, and sustainable economic growth.
- Financial Viability (20%) – Demonstrate your business’s capacity to deliver the project and manage funds responsibly, supported by financial statements and forecasts.
- Stream-Specific Outcomes (20%) – Explain how your proposal directly addresses your chosen stream (Start-up, Expansion, Social Impact, or Shopfront Occupancy).
- Community Impact (10%) – Outline measurable contributions to at least three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Priority Sector & Application Quality (10%) – Indicate relevance to City of Melbourne priority sectors and ensure your application is well-written, structured, and complete.
How do I get the Business Growth and Impact Grants?
Applicants must:
- Read and understand the guidelines.
- Ensure eligibility for the funding. Applicants that do not meet all the eligibility criteria will not be considered.
- Deliver the project/s as outlined in the application.
- Provide complete information requirements.
To increase the chances of success, applicants should demonstrate:
- A clear and viable business model with potential for growth or expansion within the City of Melbourne.
- Strong alignment with the City of Melbourne’s priorities for innovation, activation, and economic development.
- Sound financial management supported by current financial statements and realistic forecasts.
- Measurable community or social impact, contributing to at least three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Readiness to start the project and complete it within 12 months of the funding agreement.
- Defined outcomes and measurable benefits such as job creation, increased turnover, or local activation.
- Evidence of market demand, research, or validation supporting the project.
- A clear, well-prepared budget showing value for money.
- Plans to sustain project outcomes beyond the funding period.
- A complete and well-presented application that addresses all assessment criteria.
Information to prepare for the Business Growth and Impact Grants application
Make sure you have the following information and documents ready:
- Current ABN and business registration details.
- 2024–25 financial statements (and 2023–24 if available).
- Financial projections for 2025–26 and 2026–27, including profit and loss, balance sheet, and cash flow forecasts.
- Completed SDG Align report, identifying at least three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and outlining actions for the next 12 months.
- Details of any other funding or investment supporting the project.
- A detailed project plan describing activities, milestones, and outcomes.
- A clear project budget, showing how grant funds and any co-contribution will be used.
- Evidence of market research, validation, or demand for the proposed activity.
- For Shopfront Occupancy applicants:
-
- A lease agreement of at least three years.
- A letter from the landlord confirming the premises have been vacant for at least six months (lease commencement after 1 July 2025).
- Optional supporting documents such as partnership letters, quotes, or endorsements.
See the guidelines for full details of information requirements.
Applying for the Business Growth and Impact Grants
All applications must be submitted via SmartyGrants.
Register your interest with GrantHelper to explore your alignment with this grant and how we can assist you to increase your chances of success.
Business Growth and Impact Grants resources
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