Distillery Door Program

The Program is open now and closes at 5.00 pm on 7 June 2024, or until funds are fully subscribed (whichever occurs first).

The Distillery Door Tourism Sales Grant will support producers of spirits and brandy who add value by encouraging visitors to their distillery door, fostering enhanced visitor experiences, tourism, and local job creation.

Spirit producers who have met the eligibility criteria may apply for a grant of $50 per litre of pure alcohol (LAL) for distillery door sales that have exceeded the Alcohol Manufacturer Remission of $350,000 threshold specifically for eligible spirits and brandy products meeting Australian Taxation Office (ATO) criteria (tariff items 2, 3.2, 3.2 and 3.10).

The Grant will be capped at $300,000 (GST exclusive) per eligible distillery.

Please note: Beer, wine or non-eligible spirits do not count towards meeting or exceeding the threshold.

Additional grant information

• Distillery Door Tourism Sales grant guidelines (PDF - 651.3 KB)
• Distillery Door Tourism Sales grant guidelines - accessible (WORD - 2.3 MB)
• Statutory declaration (WORD - 31.8 KB)
• Trustee declaration (WORD - 767.2 KB)

Required supporting documentation

Copies of your:

• current ATO Manufacturer’s Licence to produce distilled alcoholic beverages
• current Victorian General or Producer’s Liquor Licence
• ATO excise statements and remission claims that show you have exceeded the $350,000 threshold with sales of eligible spirits and brandy (ATO tariff items 2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.10)
• sales data that show the amount of LAL’s of eligible products sold over the $350,000 threshold, including POS data and inventory movements out of bond. Previous two years data can be requested to validate claim.

You must also submit a statutory declaration. (WORD - 31.8 KB)

Apply now

When you have the required documents, you can submit an application through our grants portal.

After you apply

You will receive an automated email, stating your application has been received.

Applicants will be advised in writing via email of the outcome of their application within four weeks from lodgement, however this may take longer if large volumes of applications are received.

Legal entity definition

A legal entity is an association, corporation, trustee of a trust, or individual that has legal standing in the eyes of the law.

A legal entity has legal capacity to enter into agreements or contracts, assume obligations, incur and pay debts, sue and be sued in its own right, and to be held responsible for its actions.

The program opened on 27 November 2023 and will close at 5 pm on 30 September 2024, or when funds are fully subscribed (whichever occurs first). Eligible assessments and costs incurred from 1 April 2023 until the closing date can be claimed,

The Hazardous Areas and Dangerous Goods Rebate will assist distillers of alcoholic beverages to invest in equipment and infrastructure to improve safety in distilleries.

A Rebate of up to 70% or 80% of the total eligible expenditure (GST exclusive) or up to the maximum of $50,000 (GST exclusive), whichever is the lesser amount, is available for equipment and infrastructure that will support improvements to safety in distilleries.

Applicants will be required to make a cash co-contribution of a minimum of 20% or 30% of the total eligible expenditure on infrastructure and equipment on the project.

Co-contribution will be:

• 20% cash co-contribution if no more than 10,000 litres of alcohol produced in the 2022-23 financial year
• 30% cash co-contribution if greater than 10,000 litres of alcohol produced in the 2022-23 financial year

Co-contributions must be cash. In-kind contributions such as labour are not included. Any additional or ineligible costs associated with the overall project must be met by the applicant.

Additional grant information

• Distillery Support – Safety – Hazardous Areas and Dangerous Goods Rebate guidelines (PDF - 771.3 KB)
• Distillery Support – Safety – Hazardous Areas and Dangerous Goods Rebate guidelines (WORD - 2.3 MB)
• Statutory declaration  (WORD - 42.1 KB)
• Trustee declaration (WORD - 767.2 KB)

Apply now

Start or resume your application

What can the rebate be used for?

This program may provide a Rebate up to the value of $50,000 (GST exclusive) of eligible costs associated with one or more of these activities:

• costs associated with having a Hazardous Area Assessment or Dangerous Goods Audit undertaken
• purchase and installation of equipment and infrastructure as recommended in either a Hazardous Area Assessment, Dangerous Goods Audit, OHS Essentials Program relating to hazardous areas and dangerous goods, or assessment by a WorkSafe dangerous goods inspector undertaken from 1 April 2023 until closing date
• training specific to the technology for safe operation of equipment recommended (external costs only)

All funded activities must comply with Australian Standards (including installation) where required by regulation. Installations must comply with the manufacturer’s instructions and use licensed tradesmen when required by legislation, council regulation or the manufacturer’s instructions. This is the responsibility of the recipient; the Department is not liable in any way in relation to or in connection with the project, other than as expressed in these Guidelines.

As this is a Rebate program, all costs must be incurred before applying. If you have any concerns about item eligibility, please contact the Distillery Door Program team at distilleryprogram@agriculture.vic.gov.au PRIOR TO making your purchase.

There is no guarantee that any application for a Rebate will be supported.

After you apply

You will receive an automated email, stating your application has been received.

Applicants will be advised in writing via email of the outcome of their application within three weeks from lodgement, however this may take longer if large volumes of applications are received.

Ineligible activities

• new or replacement stills
• items not recommended in either a Hazardous Area Assessment, Dangerous Goods Audit, OHS Essentials Program relating to hazardous areas and dangerous goods, or assessment by a Worksafe dangerous goods inspector
• items pertaining to brewing, wine making and other beverage production
• motorised transport vehicles (eg. forklifts, trucks, utes, etc) or vehicle associated costs
• routine maintenance costs
• internal costs, salaries or resources of the Recipient
• fees associated with permits for planning or annual certification
• costs associated with applying for government grants and funding programs
• basic professional services such as ongoing, routine accounting, tax and legal business requirements, licensing, legal/intellectual property costs, financing fees
• travel costs
• any administrative fees or surcharges for administering the expenditures listed above; or
• any other expenditure as determined by the Department that does not meet the Program guidelines or objectives.

Required supporting documentation

Copies of:

• your current ATO Manufacturer’s Licence to produce distilled alcoholic beverages
• your current Victorian General or Producer’s Liquor Licence
• one of the following: Hazardous Area Assessment, Dangerous Goods Audit, OHS Essentials Program relating to hazardous areas and dangerous goods, or assessment by a WorkSafe dangerous goods inspector - undertaken from 1 April 2023 until closing date
• invoices and receipts for eligible expenditure as recommended in the above assessment - undertaken from 1 April until closing date

You must also complete a statutory declaration attesting to the total costs.

Legal entity definition

A legal entity is an association, corporation, trustee of a trust, or individual that has legal standing in the eyes of the law.

A legal entity has legal capacity to enter into agreements or contracts, assume obligations, incur and pay debts, sue and be sued in its own right, and to be held responsible for its actions.

Upskilling our distillers has been identified as one of the core focuses of the Distillery Door Program.

Funding of up to $2,000 per distillery is available for Victorian distillers to upskill to improve the knowledge and experience of the people that make this industry work. The training is broad and flexible to meet the differing needs of an industry that has large, medium, small and micro businesses, all of which have their place in a growing industry.

Find out more from the Spirits Victoria Association.