Value Add Investment Grants Program

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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 nameProject descriptionLocationFunding amount
Australian Truffle TradersWest Australian Truffle CollectiveManjimup$339,600
D Trandos & Sons Pty LtdValue added processing of fresh WA corn for local, national and international marketsNeerabup$265,200
Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co Pty LtdIncrease Manufacturing Capacity to Meet Demand for New Craft Brewery ProductsMargaret River$350,000
Canon Foods Services Pty LtdManufacturing facility expansionJandakot$750,000
Harvest Road Oceans Pty LtdEmu Point Aquaculture FacilityAlbany$700,000
Sweeter Banana Co-Operative LtdFood Processing HubCarnarvon$270,000
D’Orsogna LimitedState-of-the-art slicing and packing processPalmyra$700,000
George Weston Foods LtdMauri Animal Feed Mill Development ProjectBentley$700,000
The Tailor Made Spirits Company LimitedCowaramup Distillery and VenueCowaramup$400,000
Oakover Vineyards Pty LtdSwan Valley Wine ProjectMiddle Swan$700,000
Atari Enterprises Trading Company Pty LtdBrewery and distillery upgradeSouth Fremantle$703,000
Vesco Foods Pty LtdFactory expansion to diversify product offeringOsborne Park$700,000
Wafex Pty LtdValue Add Waxflower BouquetsWest Swan$330,400
Quintis (Australia) Pty LimitedValue Add – Production Line upgradeAlbany$500,000
V&V WalshState-of-the-art Cold Store FacilityBunbury$700,000
Huon Aquaculture Company Pty LtdExpansion and Diversification of a Value-added Seafood Processing FacilityForrestdale$700,000
Centerwest Pty LtdNext generation processing facility expansion and upgradeWoodridge$700,000
Catalano Seafood Pty LtdExpansion and Modernisation of Value-add Seafood Processing CapabilityBassendean$700,000

 

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