Grants are open to forward-thinking small businesses currently located or intending to locate within the City of Melbourne. Start-ups and established businesses from any sector are welcome to apply as long as you have a great idea and a sound business proposal that is going to proceed regardless of grant funding.
Since 1996 the City of Melbourne has provided $8 million worth of grants to over 360 businesses, many of whom have taken their ideas and creativity to the next level and achieved outstanding local and international success.
Applications for 2019
There are two rounds for grant funding in 2019:
- Round one now open. Closes Tuesday 30 April 2019 at 11:59pm (EST)
- Round two opens Monday 5 August 2019 at 9am and closes Monday 9 September 2019 at 11:59pm (EST)
Grant categories
- Start-up – Increasing diversity by supporting the establishment of new and creative small businesses. Grants up to $30,000 are available.
- Business expansion – Assisting existing businesses that are expanding into other innovative services or products. Grants up to $30,000 are available.
- Export entry – Encouraging businesses to enter or expand into new overseas markets. Grants up to $10,000 are available per year.
- Business support services – Supporting member-based organisations to deliver new initiatives and tangible benefits to their members. Grants up to $10,000 are available per year.
What do we fund ?
Before submitting a grant application, it is important to understand the types of activities and initiatives we fund and those we do not.
We fund anything to do with capital improvement such as office fit-outs or factory upgrades to website development, IT equipment, and specialised equipment and software.
But we do not fund operational expenses such as motor vehicles, rent, utilities, wages, marketing, sales development, stock purchases, legal costs, networking or personal expenses.
Are you eligible?
To be eligible for a City of Melbourne small business grant:
- Your business must be located within the City of Melbourne municipality or you must be planning to re-locate to the municipality within three months of applying for the grant.
- You must have 20 or fewer full-time equivalent employees.
- You must have a registered ABN and an appropriate legal business structure.
- Your proposed product or service must be market-ready.
- Your business proposal must be able to proceed without our grant.
- Your application must be complete and include financial statements or other requested attachments.
Franchisees, subsidiaries of larger companies, unincorporated associations and government departments or agencies are not eligible to apply. Branches of foreign companies not registered as an Australian company are also ineligible. Individuals or organisations providing trade facilitation services are not eligible under the export entry category.
Expert assistance to write your Grant application
Treadstone has been writing grant applications for manufacturers since 2008. We have been successful in a number of categories for the CoM grants in the past. Don’t leave this to the last minute. Get it done properly with our expert grant writers. Call us now on (03) 9008 5937 or contact us.
Our most recent 2018 grant recipients are named below, featuring a diversity of ideas and innovations.
Current recipients
Christine
An iconic women’s retail store currently located in Flinders Lane, Christine received an expansion grant as the business is planning to move to the top end of Collins Street, creating a new concept luxury store (Christine on Collins).
ColourSpace Gallery Pty Ltd
ColourSpace Gallery offers artworks on an affordable monthly subscription basis to corporate businesses, and will focus on showcasing artworks of emerging Melbourne based artists. They have secured a start-up grant.
DreamWalk Apps Pty Ltd
DreamWalk Apps received a start-up grant, they have created a new initiative “Proof” which allows users to design and develop a proof of concept app quickly and at low costs.
Girl Geek Academy
With a purpose of showcasing the number of women with successful Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers, Girl Geek Academy received an expansion grant. Their proposal is to launch a new Girl Geek Academy Guide (expert guide program) to showcase women in technology.
HH MPI Pty Ltd (T/A MagicPi)
Using artificial intelligence, MagicPi received a start-up grant as they have developed a multi-lingual tour guide that can be delivered through personal smart devices. The company will add an Australian Sign Language (AUSLAN AI) component to the platform which will help support galleries and museums in delivering a better experience for hearing-impaired visitors.
Ion Opticks Pty Ltd
Receiving an expansion grant, Ion Opticks will scale development and manufacturing of their innovative nano capillary column used by cutting edge scientists worldwide for biological and medical research into cancer, Parkinson’s and other age-related diseases. These columns allow scientists to gain over 25 per cent more data from their samples compared to existing commercially available solutions.
Justice Denim
A start-up grant was given to Justice Denim to design and manufacture ethical, local and responsible denim jeans, using an artisan denim factory located in Melbourne. The business has also committed to donating one week’s schooling expenses for every pair of jeans sold to an internationally-recognized non-profit organisation.
Koel Pty Ltd (T/A Viva La Cup)
Viva La Cup received a start-up grant through proposing a sharing network for reusable cups that provides a sustainable product. They will work to collaborate with cafes to prevent the use of disposable single use coffee cups.
She’s A Crowd Pty Ltd
She’s A Crowd is a social enterprise company using crowdsourcing technology and data analytics to harness the global trend of social storytelling, allowing women to share their stories in a safe, anonymous and meaningful way.. They have secured a start-up grant.
Silverpond Pty Ltd
Silverpond received an expansion grant to develop a new computer vision artificial intelligence platform, Highlighter, that is particularly useful for organisations that want to automate repetitive visual tasks. This platform will make it more accessible and cost-effective for companies to develop and adopt artificial intelligence technology as part of their business capabilities without having an in-house artificial intelligence team.
The Sneaker Laundry
The Sneaker Laundry received an expansion grant to create a new attractive window space at their retail store to allow passing trade and customers to engage the process of how customised painted artwork is created onto sneakers.
Thirty South Pty Ltd (T/A Act of Wine)
A new boutique wine store, Act of Wine focuses in supplying sustainable, natural, organic and biodynamic wine, craft beer and small patch spirits.
Umps Health Pty Ltd
Umps Health received a start-up grant as they have developed a smart home platform to support older Australians to live safely and independently at home. Umps Health’s smart plugs fit between any domestic appliance and the wall socket to measure things like when the kettle is used or TV turned on or off – sending a signal that the older person is okay. The system learns a person’s unique patterns of behaviour, and if there is significant abnormality, lets a family member or care provider know so they can check in.
Zero Impact Energy Pty Ltd
Zero Impact recycles waste coffee grounds into renewable energy, with high-performance coffee logs that are a truly sustainable alternative to firewood or brown coal. They have secured a start-up grant.
10Tickles Animation & Design
Securing an expansion grant, 10Tickles Animation & Design uses augmented reality technology to design a new immersive experience app – Macabre Melbourne Mysteries. Based on an historical crime, players use their smartphones to uncover clues as they navigate in and around the City of Melbourne to solve the crime.
