In short:
Up to 100 grants worth $5,000 are available to eligible Victorian business associations. Funding can support training, mentoring and skills development for multicultural small businesses.
Applications Closing Soon
Victorian business groups still have time to secure $5,000 in funding to help local multicultural businesses sharpen their skills.
Applications for the Multicultural Business Skills Fund Grant Program remain open until 4pm on 28 September, although they could close earlier if the available funding is exhausted.
Up to 100 grants of $5,000, excluding GST, are on offer, with the money available for training, business advice and mentoring.
Projects can cover everything from business planning, bookkeeping and marketing to recruitment, cyber security and artificial intelligence.
The grants aren’t available directly to individual businesses. Instead, applications are open to eligible not-for-profit trader groups, business chambers and industry organisations operating in Victoria and representing members that include multicultural businesses.
Eligibility May Be Wider Than You Think
According to the program’s frequently asked questions, a multicultural small business is one that identifies as being part of a specific “ethnic, language or cultural community that has common needs, customs and traditions.”
No particular ethnicities, nationalities or cultural backgrounds are specified under that definition.
Each successful project must involve at least 10 participants from Victorian multicultural small businesses, who can be either business owners or their paid employees.
Funding can be spent on trainers and speakers, in-language services and the development of new business resources.
Applications are being considered in date order, with eligible projects potentially funded on a first come, first served basis until the allocation runs out.
Successful applicants are expected to be notified by 30 October, with projects to be completed by 26 February 2027.
