Up to $5,000 is available from the Artisanal Sector Program to support artisan producers to grow their business and strengthen Victoria’s regional food offerings.
Artisanal Sector Program
Agriculture Victoria’s Artisanal Sector Program is a $2 million initiative to help grow Victoria’s high value food and agricultural offerings. The program will help businesses overcome barriers to growth; increase opportunities to access markets for high value, specialty food and produce; and provide tailored biosecurity and industry support for Victoria’s artisanal sector.
Background
Agriculture Victoria launched the Artisanal Sector Program in May 2018. Support for the artisanal sector will increase market opportunities for high quality, high value produce, and strengthen Victoria’s regional food offerings to deliver flow-on benefits for jobs and tourism.
The $2 million Artisanal Sector Program includes:
- The Artisanal Sector Roadmap, providing a framework to collectively support and grow the sector and a shared vision for the sector in Victoria.
- Grants to support business growth and investment in the sector.
- Biosecurity and industry support services tailored to the needs of the sector.
The grants will be delivered in two stages.
Stage one grants are open for application from September 2018 and the second stage of grants is expected to be open for applications in the first half of 2019.
Objectives
The objective of stage one grants are to support artisan producers to sustain and grow their business productivity by assisting them to:
- enhance agricultural or specialist food expertise/skills
- improve business skills and knowledge
- access new markets or improve access to existing markets, including e-commerce
- purchase new equipment or upgrade equipment.
Funding
The grant will fund up to 80 percent of the total cost of the eligible project up to a maximum grant of $5,000. Applicants are required to contribute the remaining costs of the project. This co-contribution must be a cash contribution (in-kind contributions such as labour are not included in the co-contribution amount). Any additional or ineligible costs associated with the overall project must be met by the applicant.
Eligible Projects
Grant funding may be used to support individual businesses to:
- enhance agricultural or specialist food expertise/skills
- improve business skills and knowledge
- access new markets or improve access to existing markets, including e-commerce
- purchase new equipment or upgrade existing equipment
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible for a stage one grant, applicants must:
- be a producer/grower or food business operating in Victoria’s artisanal sector
- have a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
- be a legal entity
- agree to participate in future program evaluation activities
- meet all industrial relation obligations as an employer in accordance with the National Employment Standards
Timing
Applications for stage one close 31 January 2019.
More Information
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