Grants

Grants for startups

LaunchVic partners with other government departments and agencies to offer equity-free grants in priority industries. We also offer investment through our targeted funds.

Types of grants for startups:

Startup business grants: Startup business grants help entrepreneurs access business mentoring services, fund trials of their product, or hire talent.

• LaunchVic offers up to $50,000 equity-free funding through our CivVic Labs program for aspiring founders. Sign up to our newsletter to be notified when new intakes go live.

Blended capital: Blended capital is an investment with an equity and grant component.

• LaunchVic’s Alice Anderson Fund and Hugh Victor McKay Fund take 85% of their investment as equity, and the remainder goes to the founder as a non-dilutive government startup grant.
• This allows founders to retain more ownership of their company and be less diluted in future raises.

Grants for Program Providers

LaunchVic offers grants to program providers to bring the world’s best startup support programs to Victoria.

Types of Grants for Program Providers:

• Grants for pre-accelerator programs: programs targeted at startup entrepreneurs who have a technology-based idea for a startup and want to establish a business and develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The program runs for a designated period, and participants ‘graduate’ from the program having followed a set methodology to establish a startup. A Pre-Accelerator program can provide a pathway to an Accelerator program.
• Grants for accelerator programs: programs targeted at established Startups who want to scale their business. They are typically fixed-term, cohort-based programs, but may also be delivered in the style of an incubator that accepts startups on an ad-hoc basis. Accelerators (and incubators) are competitive – entry is by way of an application process – and successful startups can expect to receive mentorship and/or education, and introductions to customers and early-stage investors including through a public pitch event or demo day.

Grants for Investors

LaunchVic offers seed funding for investor groups to establish in Victoria and invest in local startups.

Types of grants for investors:

• Grants for angel networks: An Angel Network is a formalized group of Angel Investors that collectively evaluate and invest in entrepreneurial ventures. Grants for angel networks fund the operational costs of establishing new networks and unlock more investment for startup founders.
• VC Support grants: Grants to cover operational costs for VC funds to establish in Victoria.
• Investor Education: Grants for organizations to provide high-quality investor education to build the confidence and capability needed to invest in startups.