Regional Jobs Fund

The primary aims of the RJF are to attract investment, create new jobs and retain existing jobs in regional Victoria.  Therefore, assessment criteria are weighted towards these quantifiable economic development benefits.  In preparing the application, applicants will be asked to provide relevant supporting documents to demonstrate the project’s ability to address each of the following core assessment criteria:

• economic benefits to regional Victoria
• additional economic development benefits
• social and environmental benefits
• alignment with State and regional policies and priorites
• demonstrated project feasibility and delivery
• financial viability of the applicant
• maximise value to the state of Victoria

The RJF program will consider the following types of projects resulting in the retention and creation of new jobs; development of business innovation and productivity, as well as the provision of utilities and infrastructure:

• investment projects where regional Victoria is in competition with interstate or international locations (i.e. footloose investments)
• projects attracting footloose capital into new and/or existing facilities
• investment to develop new facilities, expand existing facilities and repurposed facilities.
• projects that underpin the sustainability of businesses and the retention of jobs in regional Victoria
• projects introducing new technologies, plant and equipment and systems to improve productivity, competitiveness and business growth
• projects enhancing the skills of the workforce to raise productivity
• the introduction of innovations, technologies, equipment and processes to develop and increase exports
• projects improving supply chain efficiencies through collaborative projects
• projects boosting the capacity of new and existing regionally significant employment precincts such as CBDs, health, education, innovation, industrial and special purpose precincts
• projects that involve utility and service connections and/or upgrades to activate business investment and create jobs (i.e. typically, consideration will be given to projects that require upgrades to electricity supply, gas supply, water supply and wastewater treatment services).
• projects that focus on water and energy savings that improve the operational sustainability of a business in a regional location such as solar and water recycling projects.

Applicants will be required to demonstrate the project’s ability to address each of the core Regional Jobs Fund (RJF) criteria as outlined in the Regional Jobs Fund application guidelines.

This table covers projects funded under the following current and past program streams:

• Employment Precincts
• Food Source Victoria
• Horticulature Innovation Fund
• Innovation and Productivity
• Investment Attraction
• Local Industry Fund for Transition
• Market Access
• Regional Skills
• Wine Growth Fund