Business Acceleration Fund

The $40 million Business Acceleration Fund (BAF) is available to support vital projects that will streamline processes, promote digitisation, and make it easier to start and grow a business in Victoria.

Additional funding now available for digital and regional reforms

The Victorian Government announced $14 million in funding as part of the Economic Growth Statement on 10 November 2024. This funding creates new opportunities for Victorian councils, departments, and regulators to streamline processes, saving time and money for businesses and workers.

The $14 million fund also supports the objectives of the BAF. It includes:

$10.5 million over 4 years for digital and AI projects.
$3.5 million to support initiatives boosting Victoria’s regional economy.

The Digitisation and AI stream supports regulators aiming to digitise outdated processes, adopt AI for approvals, reduce red tape or implement a ‘tell-us-once’ model. Potential projects include creating digital concierge platforms, expanding reusable government services or digitising historic records.

Regional stream: Funding is available for proposals that enhance growth and productivity in regional Victoria. Examples include streamlining regulations for key regional industries like freight, food production or manufacturing, or digitising rural and regional council systems.

About the BAF

The BAF and its predecessor, the Regulation Reform Incentive Fund (RRIF), have already supported more than 130 game-changing projects across Victoria’s state and local governments and regulators.

These projects are already seeing many benefits for Victoria’s businesses, including:

more targeted regulations
faster licensing
accessible and user-friendly application processes
streamlined and digitised applications
simplified pre-employment credential processes.

We encourage co-contributions, especially for larger projects.

Need inspiration? Here are some successful projects the BAF has funded:

Set up a Resources Victoria Approvals Coordination role to significantly reduce approval times for construction projects.
Remove the need for unnecessary food safety compliance programs for 30,000 low-risk businesses, so they can focus on customers and business development.
Develop an online system that allows Victorians to apply for and display a digital Working with Children Check card on the Service Victoria app.
Streamline annual liquor licence renewals for around 25,000 bars, restaurants and venues.
Digitise health, hospitality and trader applications, so businesses can get their approvals faster.

View the list of projects funded through the RRIF and BAF.

Apply for funding

Applications for the next round close on 31 August 2025, but we’re always available to discuss your ideas and provide guidance on your application. Reach out to us anytime to explore how the BAF can support your proposal.

To apply:

Complete the 2023-27 Business Acceleration Fund Proposal below.
Submit the form to DTF at reg.reform@dtf.vic.gov.au.

Business Acceleration Fund 2023-27 Submission Template

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We will contact you with any questions about your proposal.

We can also help you with your application, including idea testing and draft reviews. Email reg.reform@dtf.vic.gov.au to discuss your proposal.

State government projects funded

This list contains projects that have been completed and are still ongoing.

Developing front end portals and websites

Department of Transport and Planning	Develop an automated, web-based system to allow Class 1 vehicle operators to assess structural compliance with Victorian arterial road requirements to better plan their routes.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Develop a public-facing IT system to enable self-service for biodiversity offsets and impact assessment reports.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Develop a biosecurity services portal to digitise agriculture chemical user licences and permits.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Develop an online system for agricultural businesses that require a commercial wildlife licence.
Department of Transport and Planning	Develop a website to inform consumers and reduce building disputes.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Upgrade Heritage Victoria's website and payment systems, including an online dashboard for applications.
Department of Education	Develop an online portal for Early Childhood Education and Care service assessments.
Consumer Affairs Victoria	Upgrade myCAV to include licensing and registration schemes from legacy IT systems.
Department of Transport and Planning	Create a web portal to accelerate permit applications for the traffic management industry.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Develop digital platforms and services to help agriculture businesses navigate planning requirements and undertake business development opportunities.
Department of Government Services	Integrate with Service Victoria's platform to enable businesses to verify their identity online.
Department of Family, Fairness and Housing	Develop an online portal to streamline the community sector's interactions with the Human Services Regulator.
Department of Government Services	Create an online system for workers and volunteers to verify their identity for NDIS checks and Working with Children Checks.
Department of Premier and Cabinet	Develop a centralised Victorian Government website for businesses to post public notices required by regulations.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Develop an online portal for participants in heritage hearings to more easily submit forms, make submissions and share information.
Department of Health	Build an interactive web form for pest control licence applications.
Liquor Control Victoria	Develop a streamlined digital system for liquor licence renewals.
Liquor Control Victoria	Redesign Liquor Control Victoria’s website architecture to improve content quality and make it easier to find.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Expand the Agriculture Victoria Connect portal to include the Property Identification Code system for horse traceability.
Wage Inspectorate of Victoria	Upgrade the Child Employment Licence Portal to make applying for a child employment licence simpler and less time consuming, without compromising safety.
Consumer Affairs Victoria	Enhance the MyCAV portal to allow engineers to report their Continued Professional Development compliance digitally.
Victoria Police	Implement an end-to-end, fully digital, application lodgement process for Service Victoria firearms, weapons and private security guards, without compromising safety.
Victorian Fisheries Authority	Develop a platform that enables seafood businesses to trade fishing quotas in real time, reducing burden and improving the efficiency of Victoria's quota management system.
Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission	Develop an online portal for gambling-related applications.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Develop an external interface to enable site assessors, credit owners and brokers to complete data collection and forms online.
Department of Government Services	Develop an API capability program to enable automated Working with Children Checks with time-status updates and eliminate manual file uploads by businesses.
Environment Protection Authority Victoria	Streamline the EPA's business processes, map environmental hazard sites across Victoria, and establish an EPA portal to give customers a single point of interaction.
Energy Safe Victoria	Digitise paper-based certificates of electrical safety on ESVConnect and enhance portal usability.

Digitising back-end systems

Supporting workers to get into jobs sooner

Streamlining application processes for business

Department of Education	Digitise licensing for Early Childhood Education and Care providers.
Department of Justice and Community Safety	Develop abridged death certificates that executors can receive 6 months sooner.
Department of Transport and Planning	Codify low-risk planning referrals made to the Department of Transport.
Department of Transport and Planning	Improve the planning approval process for transport infrastructure applicants.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Streamline the heritage permit process for low-harm and no-harm applications.
Housing Registrar	Streamline Housing Registrar registration by enhancing the Community Housing Information Management and Engagement System.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Streamline minerals exploration licences.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Streamline licence approval for businesses in the meat and seafood industry.
Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions	Develop and implement tools to help local councils improve approval processes for hospitality businesses.
Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board	Streamline the Vet Board's registration process using the Digitally Ready Regulators Playbook to remove unnecessary steps and digitise the process to make veterinary licences easier and quicker to get.
Creative Victoria	Develop an infographic map that explains the compliance process for live music events to businesses to create smoother inspections and minimise disruptions for businesses.
Department of Transport and Planning	Streamline planning processes for potentially contaminated land, and improve guidance and training resources, for faster planning approvals.
Department of Transport and Planning	Enhance the structural assessment engine for heavy vehicles to include more detailed models for Victorian bridges and culverts.
Liquor Control Victoria	Implement Better Regulation Victoria's 'Better Practice Permissions Playbook' to ensure Liquor Control Victoria's regulatory processes are fit for purpose.
Resources Victoria	Establish a systematised approach to improve regulatory guidance material and an online portal to help businesses find application information.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Change the permissions framework for events and festivals to remove disproportionate EPA-related permit requirements for low-risk events, without compromising noise outcomes.
Department of Transport and Planning	Develop better targeted, consistent and risk-based regulatory requirements for ‘place of public entertainment occupancy’ permits to streamline approvals for recurring and multi-year events and festivals.
Victorian Building Authority	Develop an eLearning course to educate building surveyors on using the correct legal instruments to reduce building rework.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action	Develop tools to support applications for businesses using or developing marine and coastal Crown land while improving the application assessment process.

Local government projects funded