The quick response business grants provide financial assistance to eligible businesses and non-profit organisations affected by COVID-19.
Grants for business and non-profit organisations include:

• Up to $5000 for investing in online and e-commerce activities
• Up to $2000 for training and professional development 

Online and e-commerce

Costs associated with online and e-commerce activities, including the purchase of hardware, software and services in any of the following areas:

• Website design and development
• e-commerce platforms (selling online and receiving payments)
• online content development (web pages, mobile apps, audio and visual media)
• digital marketing and promotion
• mentoring and training in online and e-commerce activities.

Training and professional development

Costs associated with increasing and enhancing worker capability to better prepare for return to business activities. Suitable professional development activities can include, but are not limited to:

• online learning and webinars
• attendance at training courses, seminars, workshops, forums or conferences where appropriate
• in-house courses delivered by an external provider or other training.

Please note: Costs associated with rent and bond will not be considered in this instance. Please refer to the Rates Hardship Policy which will consider rent relief for eligible tenants in Council owned buildings for three months or more. Applications for this will be open from Monday 30 March 2020. Information on how to apply will be available from our Business page.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be located within the City of Melbourne municipality
• Have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• Be a small to medium sized business (employ fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees at the time of application, or up to 75 staff for hospitality and tourism sectors)
• Be a small to medium sized non-profit organisation (employ fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees at the time of application)
• Able to demonstrate how the grant will help support your business or non-profit organisation in response to the impact of COVID-19.

Your business must be situated in the city of Melbourne municipality, which includes Docklands, East Melbourne, Fishermans Bend, Jolimont, Kensington, North Melbourne, Melbourne’s central business district, Parkville, South Wharf, West Melbourne and parts of Carlton, Carlton North, Flemington, Port Melbourne, South Yarra and Southbank. The municipality does not cover the Melbourne metropolitan area.

Please note: Costs associated with rent and bond will not be considered in this instance. Please refer to the rates hardship policy where they will consider rent relief for eligible tenants in Council owned buildings for three months or more. Applications for this will be open from Monday 30 March 2020. Information on how to apply will be available from our Business page.