What is the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund?
The Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund is a grant opportunity to help licensed bars, restaurants, pubs, clubs, hotels, cafes and reception centres get through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and prepare for COVID Normal business.
Background
The $38.6 million Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 -July Extension (Program) assists licensed hospitality venues affected by the COVID-19 restrictions commencing 16 July 2021 which did not previously apply for the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 in June 2021.
The Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund program supports eligible liquor licensees with hospitality venues impacted by the restrictions put in place to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Eligible liquor licensees include those in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria operating a restaurant, hotel, cafe, pub, bar, club or reception centre that serves food and alcohol.
Eligible liquor licensees with an eLicence email address registered with the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) will receive an email containing their grant application link from Business Victoria.
Liquor licensees without an eLicence email address must set one up on their VCGLR Portal by 11.59pm on Monday 9 August 2021 to receive their grant application link.
Applications for a grant can only be submitted through the link emailed by Business Victoria.
Funding
Through the Program, liquor licensees (Licensees) may apply for grants of $7,200 per eligible premises in regional Victoria or metropolitan Melbourne.
Businesses that have applied for and have been approved for funding for eligible premises under the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 will receive additional automatic top up payments of $3,000 and $4,200 respectively, or as a combined $7,200 top-up payment, and are not required to apply to this Program for those premises.
Eligible Projects
Grant funds must be used to assist the business, for example on:
- Meeting business costs, including utilities, wages or rent;
- Seeking financial, legal or other advice to support business continuity planning;
- Developing the business through marketing and communications activities; or
- Any other supporting activities related to the operation of the business.
Eligible Applicants
Liquor licensees who have received their application form link from Business Victoria are eligible to apply.
To be eligible for a grant, businesses must also:
- operate a licensed bar, restaurant, pub, club, hotel, café or reception centre that is registered to serve food and alcohol (Premises) 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 on 15 July 2021
- provide a Class 2 or 3 Service Sector Certificate of Registration under the Food Act 1984 that is valid in 2020 or 2021 for serving food on the same premises
- be registered for goods and services tax (GST) on 15 July 2021
- hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN on 15 July 2021
- be registered with the responsible Australian or Victorian regulator.
For employing businesses only, the applicant must confirm that the business is supporting its workers (including casual workers, where possible) to access any paid leave entitlements, or that if a person can work from home, to work from home during the Victorian Government COVIDSafe restrictions.
Businesses who hold a food certificate but do not hold a liquor licence are not eligible for a grant under this program. Businesses who hold a liquor licence but cannot provide a food certificate for the same premises are also not eligible for a grant under this program.
Timing
Applications close 13 August 2021.
