Government Grants For Businesses | Matthews Steer

The federal and state governments make a wide range of government grants and financial assistance programs available to small and medium businesses located in Victoria, and Australia-wide.

Government grants for small businesses and medium businesses are designed to support the advancement of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and assist business owners to start, grow and expand their operations, develop and launch new products and services, and enter new markets.

Government grants are designed to support Australian businesses, and are not always restricted to a particular industry or sector. Some programs, like the AusIndustry Entrepreneurs Programme, are ongoing and eligible businesses can apply when an opportunity arises for business growth or innovation. Other programs, including those focussed on supporting the purchase of capital equipment to expand and advance the capacity and efficiency of growth-focussed manufacturers, are announced periodically.

These are just two examples of the types of programs, grants and assistance the government has made available to encourage growth of the startup, small and medium enterprises. You can find links to details of Victorian and Australian business grants at the bottom of this page.

Applying for grants

At Matthews Steer we see these growth grants as vital support for clients looking to take the next steps in their business journey, and a much-needed chance for busy business owners to source capital at a time when banks’ lending criteria is getting tougher.

Business grants mean our clients don’t have to rely solely on their sweat equity to get their businesses where they want them to go.

The key to successfully obtaining business grants is knowing when funding is going to be allocated and submitting a compelling application promptly.

At Matthews Steer, we have a dedicated, specialist government grants team available to help our clients to maximise their chances of receiving funding under a wide-range of government grant programs. Our team is resourced to manage government grant applications, reporting and assessment requirements throughout the application period.

The following government grant programs may be available to support your business

AusIndustry Entrepreneurs Programme – Business Growth Grant Assistance

The AusIndustry Entrepreneurs Programme provides up to half of the cost of engaging a consultant to assist with a range of business improvement initiatives.

Principal eligibility requirements are annual revenue between $1.5m and $100m from specified industry sectors, including:

Advanced Manufacturing
Food and Agribusiness
Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals
Mining Equipment, Technology and Services
Oil, Gas and Energy Resources

NB: Applications for a number of the following government grant programs require a business plan, so the AusIndustry Entrepreneurs Programme is a foundation program for access to many other government grants.

Learn more about the AusIndustry Entrepreneurs Programme

AusIndustry R&D Tax Incentive Program

The R&D Tax Incentive is a broad-based, market-driven program accessible to all industry sectors. It provides a targeted tax offset to encourage more companies to engage in research and development (R&D).

Available tax offsets based on annual turnover:

Turnover < $20m - 43.5% refundable tax offset.
Turnover > $20m - 38.5% non-refundable tax offset.

NB: Applicants must be Australian registered companies (not trusts) and must control the IP being developed.

Learn more about the AusIndustry R&D Tax Incentive Program

AusIndustry Accelerating Commercialisation Program

Accelerating Commercialisation helps Australian entrepreneurs, researchers, inventors, start-ups, commercialisation offices, and small and medium enterprises address the challenges associated with commercialising novel intellectual property, where R&D has been completed but no commercial sales have occurred.

Applicants can seek up to $1m in grant funding on a 50:50 matched funding basis.

Learn more about the AusIndustry Accelerating Commercialisation Program

Austrade Export Market Development Grant Program

The Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) scheme is the Australian Government's key financial assistance program for aspiring and current exporters. Administered by Austrade, the purpose of the scheme is to encourage SMEs to develop export markets.

EMDG reimburses up to 50% of eligible export promotion expenses above $5,000 to a maximum grant size of $150,000 per annum for up-to eight years.

Learn more about the Austrade Export Market Development Grant Program

Commonwealth Government Manufacturing Modernisation Fund (MMF)

The Commonwealth Government’s $50m Manufacturing Modernisation Fund was launched to support investment in efficient and transformative manufacturing processes by SMEs; encourage job growth and nurture a more highly skilled workforce in the manufacturing sector.

Learn more about the Commonwealth Government Manufacturing Modernisation Fund

Business Victoria Boost Your Business Vouchers

The Department of Jobs, Precincts & Regions (DPJR) has established Boost Your Business Vouchers to support Victorian businesses to become more productive, employ more people, improve market access and generally increase their scale, diversity and profitability.

Vouchers of up-to $50,000 may be used by Victorian businesses or organisations in exchange for services that will build their capabilities in three main areas:

Market Engagement – services to assist companies and organisations to identify and secure international market development and export opportunities.
Innovation – services to assist companies to develop or commercialise new products and improve process innovation.
Capability – services to assist companies to position them to support future growth.

Vouchers are available across four program streams: Advanced Manufacturing, Asia Gateway, Food Innovation and Defence, Aerospace & Security.

Learn more about Business Victoria Boost Your Business Vouchers

Contact Matthews Steer today on 03 9325 6300 to learn more about your eligibility for government business grants, and how our Grants Team can help support your applications.