The Victorian Government is offering up to $500,000 in matched funding for businesses, industry bodies, and TAFEs or dual-sector universities to co-design and pilot short training courses that directly address critical skills gaps in priority sectors. This is part of a broader effort to build workforce capability and boost economic growth through targeted, scalable training innovations.

This is not your typical grant. It begins with a co-design phase to ensure consensus across partners — businesses, education providers, and government — before final applications are invited. If you have a workforce issue that standard courses can’t fix, this program helps you build and test a real solution.

Who It’s For

To apply, you must operate in Victoria and have:

• Held an active ABN and been registered for GST since 1 January 2022
• A legal presence in Victoria
• A Victorian Government Fair Jobs Code pre-assessment certificate
• A track record of industrial relations compliance
• A partnership with at least one Victorian TAFE or dual-sector university

Lead applicants can be a business, an industry group, or a TAFE/dual-sector university. The strongest applications typically include multiple business partners, ensuring the pilot will benefit a broader segment of the industry.

Priority Sectors

Projects must align with at least one of the sectors flagged in the Victorian Government’s Economic Growth Statement:

• Advanced manufacturing and defence
• Agribusiness
• Circular economy
• Health technologies and medical research
• Digital technologies

What You Get

This is a two-stage program:

Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EOI)
Submit a concise EOI outlining the skills gap, your training concept, and the proposed partnership. If successful, you enter a co-design process facilitated by the Department.

Stage 2: Full Application
After completing co-design, you can apply for a grant of up to $500,000 (matched 1:1 by the project partners) to develop and pilot the training. Successful pilots must be delivered by May 2026, with evaluations finalised by June 2026.

Why It’s Worth Applying

• Custom training, built by industry, for industry
  Pilot exactly what your team or sector needs — not a generic course.
• Shared costs, shared benefits
  Government matches your contribution, cutting risk and cost for all involved.
• Scalable and strategic
  Successful pilots may be fast-tracked into the public training system.
• Build capability and credibility
  Establish your business or industry group as a training innovator.

How Grant Savvy Supports You

We’ve helped manufacturers, electrical contractors, RTOs, and tech firms design and secure funding for workforce programs. Our team has deep experience working across government, industry, and training providers — and we speak both compliance and plain English.

Here’s how we help:

• Eligibility confirmation – we ensure your business and your partners tick every box
• EOI writing – we distil your workforce problem and solution into a clear, fundable pitch
• Co-design guidance – we facilitate the conversations, capture the decisions, and produce the documentation needed
• Full grant application – we write the bid, model the budget, prepare supporting documents, and manage submission
• End-to-end project tracking – no missed milestones, no rushed deadlines

Let’s Talk

The EOI deadline is 27 June 2025. If your business or association is grappling with a training gap — and wants to lead the solution — this is a major opportunity.