Mount Alexander Shire Council will host a free information session for local businesses on how to tap into government funding.
‘Show me the money’ will be an informal expo style event that aims to demystify the government funding process.
Eva Parkin, Economic Development Officer, Mount Alexander Shire Council said, “This is a unique opportunity to talk directly with the funding program managers who assess the applications, about what grants are available, what they look for in a grant application and how to apply.”
Some of the programs to be discussed include the New Energy Jobs Fund, Micro Grid, Environmental Upgrade Agreements, Boost Your Business Vouchers Program, Food Source Victoria, Wine Growth Fund and the Federal Government’s Entrepreneurs Program.
Cheese Works Project Manager Alison Lansley said a business information session like this would have been helpful to kick start the local cheese project she has been working on.
“Cheese Works is an exciting new artisan cheese project based in Castlemaine. Our new site will include a small-scale training facility for professional artisan cheese-making, a cheese-making and maturing facility and a retail outlet,” said Ms Lansley.
“After several years of planning, we received a Planning Grant from the Victorian Government’s Food Source Victoria Fund last year which helped us to firmly establish the project.
“Now we have completed the business plan and other planning, we have applied for a Growth Grant under the same fund to help with the build and fit-out for the project.
“Officers from Regional Development Victoria and other government departments were extremely helpful in assisting us with the grant process. Yet it took us a long time, with a fair bit of stopping and starting to work out which grant best suited our needs and how to navigate the process.
“It would have been great to sit down in advance and ask questions about the different grants available to see which one we should pursue,” she said.
