Support Packages & Grants for Wine Producers
Australian state and federal governments have a number of grants in place to help wine producers develop the wine tourism in the country. Some of these grants are solely intended towards promoting the Australian wine internationally. In this section, we will discuss about these grants and their eligibility criteria.
One of the grants funded by the Australian government aims to reduce the promotional costs incurred by the wine producers to export wine to countries like China, the United States, Macau and Hong Kong. The program is a part of the Australian Government’s $50 million initiative designed to develop the Australian grape and wine industry by driving demand for wine exports and showcasing Australia’s wine collection to the world. Eligible wine producers can claim up to $25,000 in reimbursement for promotional costs. Also, an allowance of up to $350 per day can be claimed on all ground and incidental costs (capped at 14 days) for exporting wine products to the above mentioned countries. To be eligible an applicant must:
- be a wine producer in Australia
- have an overall turnover of less than $20 million, including a turnover of less than $5 million in exports in the year before the filing of the application
- be promoting their wine to one of the countries mentioned above
Assistance Schemes and Grants for Wineries
Another grant funded by the federal government aims at growing the number of wine tourists to regional Australia/increasing the amount spent by the tourists during their wine tours to these regions. This program is also a part of the Australian Government’s $50 million package designed to develop the Australian grape and wine producers. Applicants claiming this grant are divided into two groups, small grant applicants and medium grants applicants. Small grant applicants can claim up to $50,000 while the medium grant applicants can claim up to $250,000 to grow their wine exports.
To be eligible for this grant, the wine producer:
- must have an Australian business number (ABN)
- must be a member of the state/ territory association representing the interests of winemakers/winegrape growers
- can be a local governing body
- can be an incorporated regional or local tourism or wine organisation
- can be a not for profit organisation
One of the state government funded grants aimed at improving the liquor industry and wine producers, offers a subsidy on the Commonwealth tax and excise duty imposed on certain wine and liquor products. It offers:
- A subsidy of 15% on the notional sale price of cellar door and mail order sales of wines made by wine producers of the state
- A subsidy of 12% on the last wholesale price of low alcohol wine sales made by wine producers or wholesalers in the state
However, this subsidy cannot be claimed if the wine producer has already obtained any kind of Commonwealth rebate in the year of application.
Above mentioned are only some of the many grants offered by Australian federal and state governments to encourage wine producers. To know more about such grants and to find out whether you and/or your business is eligible for one of them, please speak to one of our advisors.
