Circuit Breaker Action: Victorian Government’s Business Support Package

Victoria’s business community has been greatly impacted by the global pandemic.

To help businesses manage this impact, the Victorian Government has announced a further $143 million package to support eligible businesses impacted by the circuit breaker action to limit the spread of COVID-19. Visit the Business Victoria website for the most up to date information on this support package.

There are four initiatives available for eligible businesses as part of this support package:

Business Costs Assistance Program

The new Business Costs Assistance Program helps eligible businesses with costs incurred as a result of the circuit breaker action.

For example, businesses may have incurred costs through loss of perishable food or produce and cancelled bookings.

Eligible businesses with an annual payroll of up to $3 million can receive a one-off grant of $2000, whether they have employees or not.

Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund – Circuit Breaker Action Payment

Eligible businesses who received a grant through the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund will receive a further one-off payment of $3000 to help with costs incurred as a result of the circuit breaker action. Businesses that receive this payment will not be eligible to receive a grant from the Business Costs Assistance Program.

Victorian Accommodation Support Program

The new Victorian Accommodation Support Program is an expansion of the Regional Tourism Accommodation Support Program and includes tourist accommodation premises in Greater Melbourne. This will support accommodation providers whose bookings were cancelled due to the circuit breaker action to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The $16.2 million Program supports tourism accommodation providers with a grant of one of two tiers of support for those with demonstrated booking cancellations between Friday 12 February and Wednesday 17 February 2021:

• Tier 1: Funding of $2250 (ex GST) per Accommodation Premises experiencing 10 or fewer cancelled nights.
• Tier 2: Funding of $4500 (ex GST) per Accommodation Premises with 11 or more cancelled nights.

The Victorian Accommodation Support Program will open soon. Register your interest in this program now.

Travel Voucher schemes

Two travel voucher schemes will encourage Victorians to travel across the state, as our tourism industry recovers from the impacts of COVID-19 and bushfires.

The schemes include:

• a new Melbourne Travel Voucher Scheme with 40,000 vouchers to support travel in greater Melbourne will launch soon
• an expanded Regional Travel Voucher SchemeExternal link (opens in same window) with an additional 10,000 vouchers to support travel in regional Victoria