Business Acceleration Fund

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

About the BAF

Whether you want to simplify state or local law requirements, digitise approvals or build a new online platform for business engagement, this funding can help you implement reforms that make the regulatory system easier for businesses.

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 some more 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.

Read about more projects funded through the RRIF and BAF below.

Apply for funding

Applications for Round 4 close on 4 April 2025.

To apply, complete the BAF proposal:

Business Acceleration Fund 2023-27 Submission Template

Word 47.73 KB

Submit the form to DTF at reg.reform@dtf.vic.gov.au. 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.

Digitising back-end systems

Supporting workers to get into jobs sooner

Streamlining application processes for business

Local government projects funded

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

Developing front end portals and websites

Digitising back-end systems

Developing guidelines and training to improve business support

Streamlining application processes for business

Digitising hard copy files to speed up approvals

Updated 8 November 2024

Labour Hire Authority	Develop a digital ID verification system for labour hire applicants.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Create a digital mapping system of agriculture land use across Victoria that allows businesses and councils to enable new business permit applications and shaping of zoning and overlays to support farm and related food businesses.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change	Develop a more risk-based regulatory framework that rewards a positive food-safety culture in the meat, dairy and seafood industries, and frees regulator resources to focus on high-risk compliance concerns.

Department of Transport and Planning	Implement new technologies to allow plumbers to inspect sites remotely.
Department of Transport and Planning	Introduce an online system for the Driving Instructor Authority approval process.
Department of Justice and Community Safety	Develop digital guides and training material for Work and Development Permits.
Department of Justice and Community Safety	Provide employers and community organisations with direct access to ChildCheck.
Department of Government Services	Replace the physical Working with Children Check card with an electronic card.
Department of Justice and Community Safety	Replace the physical Working with Children Check card with an electronic card.
Department of Fairness, Families and Housing	Streamline disability support worker registration.
Department of Transport and Planning	Streamline the building practitioner registration process.
Victoria Police	Streamline the National Police Check process through digitisation.

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.

Hume	Upgrade the council website to make it more accessible for businesses.
Mansfield	Implement a digital system for permit applications to allow online lodgement and payment.
Yarra & Port Phillip	Reduce business permit barriers by merging council commercial vacancy datasets and permit information.
Melbourne	Develop a Digital Permit Management Solution.
Boroondara	Digitise the council’s business application process.
Darebin	Improve the council’s recent planning reforms to include building approvals.
Greater Geelong	Digitise 100 technical permits in construction, business and on-street parking.
Murrindindi	Streamline the council’s business registration and application process by digitising forms and developing supporting resources.
Ballarat	Improve the council website to make it more accessible and streamline planning processes.

Maroondah	Build a customer relationship management platform that will store all business information in one location.
Merri-bek	Develop a customer relationship management platform.
Stonnington and Port Phillip	Streamline and digitise the councils’ permit processes systems.
Kingston	Build a customer relationship management platform.
Banyule	Integrate the council’s lodgement portal with their document management system.
Knox	Digitise business applications.
Yarra	Develop a back-end system and online portal for the council’s business enquiries.
Hume	Expand the council's current customer management system to include regulatory planning information.

Merri-bek	Improve commercial guidelines and factsheets.
Nillumbik	Develop a better business toolkit.
Stonnington	Develop a Visual Footpath Trade Policy.
Wodonga	Develop online resources to improve the business application process.

Melton	Automate low-risk permits through the Service Victoria platform.
Moira	Enhance and digitise business application and approval processes.
Melton	Develop consistent provisions for permits, including asset protection.
Maroondah	Develop consistent provisions for permits relating to roadside trading, footpath trading, fitness training in parks and skip bins.
Glen Eira	Centralise the council’s data management system.

Greater Geelong	Digitise planning files associated with property information requests.
Hume	Digitise planning files.
Knox	Digitise historical food and health files.
Darebin	Digitise historical building files.
Mansfield	Digitise planning, building and health files.
Banyule	Digitise planning files.
Boroondara	Digitise planning files.
Hobsons Bay	Digitise historical files.
Moonee Valley	Digitise historical planning and building files.
Monash	Digitise planning files.
Murrindindi	Digitise files.
Queenscliffe	Digitise historical building and planning files.
Yarra	Digitise planning files.
Melbourne	Digitise planning files.

Business Acceleration Fund

On this page

About the BAF

Apply for funding

State government projects funded

Local government projects funded