Latest Lockdown Business Grants & Support Packages – let’s break it down.

PLEASE NOTE: Some Government Grant online applications that we’ve listed below close this Thursday at midnight, so this could be your last chance to apply! Our team have been communicating this information since its release in early June, however, we’re re-sharing as we want to ensure no one misses out on their chance to apply before the deadline closes.

There are TWO key support packages / grants that the Victorian Government launched as a result of the most recent Circuit Breaker Lockdown in May/June 2021. These are the ‘Circuit Breaker Business Support Package’ and the ‘COVID-19 Disaster Payment for people affected by restrictions’. On 9th June a further ‘Top-up Payment’ was added to the Circuit Breaker Business Support Package available to businesses in Metropolitan Melbourne that remain closed due to extended restrictions.

Let’s break down the details for you as best we can, as we understand the information can be tricky to decipher and there are many eligibility requirements.

Circuit Breaker Business Support Package

Update 9 June 2021 – Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two Top-up Payment
A further $2,000 top-up payment will be available to businesses in metropolitan Melbourne that are closed due to extended restrictions announced Wednesday 9 June 2021. This takes the total amount available to businesses in eligible sectors to $7,000.

Tourism businesses in regional and metropolitan Melbourne that receive the Tourism Supplement payment announced on Sunday will not receive this top-up payment. Their payments have already reached $7,000.

The Victorian Government has launched the Circuit Breaker Business Support Package to assist eligible employing and non-employing businesses most affected by the restrictions announced on Thursday 27 May 2021 and extended for metropolitan Melbourne and some business sectors in regional Victoria beyond Thursday 3 June 2021.

There are three initiatives available for eligible businesses as part of this support package.

Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two – $371 million

The Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two will assist small to medium-sized businesses, including employing and non-employing businesses, most impacted by the restrictions announced on 27 May 2021 and extended beyond 3 June 2021. This includes restaurants, event suppliers, accommodation providers, non-essential retailers, and other impacted sectors.

Eligible businesses with an annual payroll of up to $10 million can receive a one-off grant of $2500 for businesses that were subject to restrictions between 28 May and 3 June 2021, or $5000 for businesses that were subject to further restrictions after 3 June 2021.

The eligible industries in this round are broader than previous support packages in recognition of businesses no longer having access to JobKeeper or other financial support.

Applications opened on Thursday 3 June until 11:59pm on Thursday 24 June 2021.

Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 – $70 million

The Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 supports venues registered to serve food and alcohol, including bars, restaurants, pubs, clubs, hotels, cafés, and reception centres impacted by the recent restrictions in Victoria.

Eligible liquor licensees will receive an invitation from Business Victoria to apply and can receive a grant of either $3500 or $7000.

Invitations will be sent to the eLicence email registered by the licensee on the Liquor Portal account with the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation. Licensees that don’t have a Liquor Portal account can create one now and register an eLicence email.

Applications opened on Thursday 3 June until 11:59pm on Thursday 24 June 2021.

Events Support Program – $20 million

The Events Support Package helps the event industry, including large event operators and suppliers, event promoters, producers and other businesses that deliver live performance events that have had events and work cancelled due to the recent restrictions in Victoria. Further details on this program can be viewed here.

More Information

Please visit the Business Victoria website for more information on all Victorian Government grants and programs here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Business Support
Advice, updates and support to help your workplace plan and respond to coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found by visiting the Business Victoria website. You can also call the Business Victoria coronavirus hotline on 13 22 15.

Mental health support for businesses
Worried about your business? Call Partners in Wellbeing on 1300 375 330 to get confidential support and advice. The service is free and available until 10pm weekdays.

COVID-19 Disaster Payment for people affected by restrictions

The Australian Government has announced a new COVID-19 Disaster Payment to help people affected by COVID-19 restrictions.

The new payment will help Victorian workers who are unable to earn income due to the current lockdown restrictions.

You can claim this payment using your Centrelink online account through myGov from Tuesday 8 June 2021.

You must meet all of the following:

  • be an Australian resident, permanent resident or eligible working visa holder
  • live or work in a Commonwealth declared hotspot
  • be unable to work and earn income as a result of a state lockdown
  • be where the lockdown is for more than 7 days
  • have liquid assets of $10,000 or less.

If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account, you can get ready and set them up now.

The Government will pay you one payment for each period of lockdown. You’ll get either:

  • $325 if you’ve lost less than 20 hours of work
  • $500 if you’ve lost 20 hours or more of work.

This payment is taxable.

You can’t get this payment for the first 7 days of lockdown.

You can’t get the COVID-19 Disaster Payment if you’re getting any of these:

  • income support payments
  • Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment
  • state small business payment.

You need to have used up other pandemic state based entitlements and all paid leave entitlements except annual leave.

More information on how to claim will be available soon on payments and services during coronavirus.

You may be eligible for other ongoing payments instead such as:

  • Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, if you’ve been told to isolate or quarantine or have to care for someone with COVID-19
  • Crisis Payment, a one-off payment if you’ve experienced an extreme circumstance and are in severe financial hardship
  • one of our payments for job seekers, if you’re looking for work or unable to do your usual work or study.
  • Jobs Victoria Fund, wage subsidies to assist Victorian businesses to employ at least 10,000 people who are looking for work.

We understand that there is information overload, and things keep changing quickly. Please take some time to review the Business Victoria website, as all the latest information and updates are provided here. This is your best source of information at this time.

Stay well & safe everyone,
Team Highview.

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