What is the Value Add Investment Grants Program?
The Value Add Investment Grants (VAIG) Program is a grant opportunity to support agriculture, food and beverage businesses to invest in the expansion or relocation of their value adding and manufacturing operations in WA. It also supports the planning of expansion projects through for feasibility study grants.
Background
The Value Add Investment Grants Program is a major competitive grant program of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), which is designed to build resiliance within the agribusiness, food and beverage value adding industries and reduce WA’s reliance on imported products.
To date, $17.56 million has been committed by the State Government grants over three grant rounds supporting 66 value-adding food and beverage businesses with high-growth potential to invest in new projects or expansion opportunities to build competitiveness and grow business opportunities in Western Australia. This has unlocked $152 million in private sector investment and created an estimated 909 new jobs.
As part of the State’s broader economic development and recovery post-pandemic, VAIG Round Two aims to strengthen and diversify the WA economy by supporting investments in new manufacturing capability which result in reducing WA’s reliance on imported products, supports business growth, fosters innovation and creates jobs.
Objective
The Program aims to support agriculture, food and beverage businesses to expand, diversify or relocate their value-add processing operations in Western Australia. This can include:
- Investments in new manufacturing capability or processing facilities, new technology or plant modernisation which results in reducing WA’s reliance on imported products, supports business growth, fosters innovation and creates jobs;
- Investments that improve sustainability, reduce the environmental impact of the manufacturing or processing activities being undertaken or contributes to improvements in broader environmental, social, and governance outcomes;
- Investments that enable expansion or diversification of business operations that relate to value adding to primary production in WA; or
- Businesses looking to relocate operations to, or expand existing operations in, WA.
Funding
Round Two has up to $7 million in funding available. Businesses can access support through two different funding streams:
- Capital Investment stream – This stream will provide funds to eligible applicants for capital investment projects to expand, diversify or relocate their value adding and processing operations in WA. Projects must align to the stated objectives of the VAIG and be anticipated to be in the implementation and/or capital expenditure phase of the investment no earlier than January 2023. There will be one funding round with up to $6 million available for individual grants of $250,000 to $750,000.
- Feasibility stream – This stream will provide funding for projects to support future capital investment decisions. Up to $0.5 million will be available each year for individual grants of $30,000 to $100,000. Projects must align to the stated objectives of VAIG and be ready to commence the project planning and business case phase from August 2022.
Eligibility
To be eligible to receive a grant, your application must be related to value adding to primary production in WA; and the applicant must meet ALL of the following criteria:
- Be a private sector business (including incorporated trustees), public companies, grower cooperatives, or similar organisations that have an ABN, and are registered for GST;
- The project must be located in, or looking to relocate to, WA including the Perth-metropolitan area;
- Be capable of entering into a legally binding agreement with the WA Government;
- Have the financial capacity to fund the minimum cash contribution;
- Have been in operation for a minimum of two years (or similar established track record);
- Projects must also comply with requirements subjected to each streams
Timing
Applications for the Feasibility stream close June 8, 2022, while Capital Investment applications close June 22, 2022.
Round 1 Recipients
The first round of recipients was announced on 27 January 2021 with the funding amounts as shown in the table below. The grant recipients match this funding dollar-for-dollar.
| Business name | Project description | Location | Funding amount |
| Australian Truffle Traders | West Australian Truffle Collective | Manjimup | $339,600 |
| D Trandos & Sons Pty Ltd | Value added processing of fresh WA corn for local, national and international markets | Neerabup | $265,200 |
| Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co Pty Ltd | Increase Manufacturing Capacity to Meet Demand for New Craft Brewery Products | Margaret River | $350,000 |
| Canon Foods Services Pty Ltd | Manufacturing facility expansion | Jandakot | $750,000 |
| Harvest Road Oceans Pty Ltd | Emu Point Aquaculture Facility | Albany | $700,000 |
| Sweeter Banana Co-Operative Ltd | Food Processing Hub | Carnarvon | $270,000 |
| D’Orsogna Limited | State-of-the-art slicing and packing process | Palmyra | $700,000 |
| George Weston Foods Ltd | Mauri Animal Feed Mill Development Project | Bentley | $700,000 |
| The Tailor Made Spirits Company Limited | Cowaramup Distillery and Venue | Cowaramup | $400,000 |
| Oakover Vineyards Pty Ltd | Swan Valley Wine Project | Middle Swan | $700,000 |
| Atari Enterprises Trading Company Pty Ltd | Brewery and distillery upgrade | South Fremantle | $703,000 |
| Vesco Foods Pty Ltd | Factory expansion to diversify product offering | Osborne Park | $700,000 |
| Wafex Pty Ltd | Value Add Waxflower Bouquets | West Swan | $330,400 |
| Quintis (Australia) Pty Limited | Value Add – Production Line upgrade | Albany | $500,000 |
| V&V Walsh | State-of-the-art Cold Store Facility | Bunbury | $700,000 |
| Huon Aquaculture Company Pty Ltd | Expansion and Diversification of a Value-added Seafood Processing Facility | Forrestdale | $700,000 |
| Centerwest Pty Ltd | Next generation processing facility expansion and upgrade | Woodridge | $700,000 |
| Catalano Seafood Pty Ltd | Expansion and Modernisation of Value-add Seafood Processing Capability | Bassendean | $700,000 |
