Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package $5000 Business Grants

Victorians will experience summer in a whole new way this year, as the Victorian Government backs businesses to reimagine the way they work – as part of a $290 million package that delivers further support to the entertainment industry, repurposes Melbourne’s CBD and gives sole traders a helping hand.

The global pandemic has meant our hospitality industry has had to close its doors, depriving us of the way of life that we love so much. Now we’ll help take the indoors out into to the open air – as Victorians embrace a new way of gathering together under a new COVID Normal.

The Victorian Government’s Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package will provide $87.5 million to councils and businesses outside of Melbourne’s CBD to make widespread outdoor dining safe, practical and a reality this summer.

$58 million will go towards grants of up to $5,000 to help hospitality businesses pay for the practical things that will make this plan work – umbrellas, outdoor furniture, screens and other equipment. We’ll also invest in training, advertising, and the other supports businesses will need as we take our café culture outdoors.

The grants will be available to licensed and unlicensed cafés, restaurants, takeaway food businesses, pubs, taverns, bars and clubs with a payroll of less than $3 million – with more than 11,000 businesses eligible to benefit.

Funding of $29.5 million will be provided to local councils to help them implement swift and streamlined permit, enforcement and monitoring processes to support expanded outdoor dining in the Third Step in our roadmap to reopening.

Applications will remain open until funds are exhausted or until 11.59pm on 11 December 2020, whichever is earlier.

More information can be found on the Business Victoria website.