Victoria Skills Solutions Partnerships Program Round 3: Funding $500,000

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Victorian Government’s Skills Solutions Partnerships Program Round 3 offers industry partnerships up to $500,000 in matched grant funding to co-design and pilot new short courses targeting critical skills gaps in five priority sectors. This guide tells you whether your partnership will win or fail before you invest a single hour in your application.

Skills Solutions Partnerships Round 3: At a Glance

Unsure of your eligibility? Check Your Eligibility Probability Here.

The “Hard” Eligibility Filter: Will Your Partnership Qualify?

This is the most critical section of this guide. Before your team spends weeks crafting an Expression of Interest (EoI), run your partnership through this filter right now. The department assesses eligibility at the point of application, and a single gap will see your submission declined without assessment.

For the Lead Applicant — Must-Haves

✅ Legal entity with an operating presence in Victoria. You cannot be a shell company, trust without active operations, or an entity based interstate hoping to claim Victorian connections. Your Victorian operating presence must be genuine and demonstrable.

✅ Active ABN held continuously since 1 January 2023. The date matters. An ABN registered on 2 January 2023 meets the test. One registered on 15 March 2023 does not. Check your ABN registration date on the ABN Lookup register before proceeding.

✅ Registered for GST since 1 January 2023. This is a separate requirement to ABN registration. Many small operators hold an ABN but voluntarily register for GST later when turnover grows. If your GST registration postdates 1 January 2023, you are ineligible as a lead applicant.

✅ You are one of the following entity types:

• A business industry group or professional association with a direct role supporting businesses in an eligible Victorian sector
• A business leading on behalf of a group of Victorian businesses (such as an anchor business with a large supply chain)
• A Victorian TAFE or dual sector university subject to the Education and Training Reform Act 2006

✅ Victorian Government Fair Jobs Code pre-assessment certificate. This is a firm requirement for all non-TAFE lead applicants. TAFEs are exempt. If you have not applied for this certificate, allow adequate lead time — you cannot submit your EoI without it.

✅ All industrial relations obligations met under the National Employment Standards. Any unresolved IR disputes or underpayment findings against your organisation will disqualify you.

For Project Partners — Must-Haves

✅ Legal entity with an operating Victorian business presence at the time of application.

✅ ABN held since 1 January 2025 (note: this is a later date than the lead applicant requirement — partners have a shorter history requirement).

✅ Registered for GST since 1 January 2025.

✅ All industrial relations obligations met under the National Employment Standards.

Hard Dealbreakers — Any One of These Will Sink Your Application

❌ No TAFE or dual sector university in your partnership. This is non-negotiable. The program exists specifically to bring industry and TAFEs or dual sector universities together. An industry-only consortium, no matter how compelling the training need, will not pass the threshold test.

❌ Operating outside the five priority sectors. Retail, tourism, construction, legal services, financial services — none of these are eligible. If your proposed training does not squarely sit within Advanced Manufacturing and Defence, Agribusiness, Circular Economy, Health Technologies and Medical Research, or Digital Technologies, stop here.

❌ A training solution that already exists. The program funds new or innovative training, not delivery of existing courses. If the department’s assessors can identify a current accredited course or commercially available training product that already addresses your stated skills gap, your application fails Criterion 3. You must explicitly explain why existing offerings do not meet industry needs.

❌ A project that cannot be completed within the pilot period. The training solution must be developed, delivered, and evaluated by the end of March 2027. Multi-year curriculum overhauls, complex qualification redesigns, or training products requiring lengthy accreditation pathways will not fit this window.

❌ Single-business applications. Where an industry association leads the EoI, the department requires multiple businesses from the relevant sector to participate in the co-design process. A single business acting alone, or an industry association with only one member business attached, will not demonstrate sufficient sector-wide need.

Unsure of your eligibility? Check Your Eligibility Probability Here.

The Application Killers: 3 Non-Obvious Reasons Strong Applications Fail

This is where well-prepared partnerships come undone. The following are not obvious traps — they are the sophisticated reasons that technically eligible applications are rejected or do not progress past co-design.

1. The “Skills Gap Exists on Paper” Problem

The most common reason EoIs fail Criterion 1 is what insiders call the “anecdotal skills gap.” A business association states something along the lines of: “Our members tell us there’s a shortage of workers with advanced robotics integration skills.” The assessors nod, note the observation, and then score the application a 3 out of 10.

Why? Because the program requires evidence of demand — both current and future. That evidence needs to go beyond member surveys and anecdotal feedback. Strong applications cite workforce planning data, independent industry labour market research, state or federal government skills assessment reports, and projections from bodies like the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) or Jobs and Skills Australia. They also quantify the gap: how many workers are needed, in what timeframe, and in which Victorian regions.

Consider a real-world example in the circular economy sector. A consortium of Victorian waste management and resource recovery businesses might observe that there is a severe gap in qualified circular economy technicians who understand both the engineering of waste processing systems and the compliance requirements under Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme. A weak application says “our members can’t find qualified staff.” A winning application says “industry modelling indicates Victoria will require an additional 1,200 trained circular economy technicians by 2028, with current VET enrolments producing fewer than 300 graduates annually — a structural shortfall of 900 workers.”

2. The “Co-Design Commitment” Trap

Passing your EoI is not the finish line — it is the starting gun. Partnerships that succeed in the EoI but then lose momentum in the co-design stage often do so for one reason: they treated the EoI as the main event and did not adequately resource the co-design phase.

Co-design workshops are mandatory, and all partners must attend all sessions. The department facilitates this process through an independent co-design facilitator, but project partners are responsible for their own costs: staff time, travel, room bookings if required, and any catering. For a Melbourne-based advanced manufacturing consortium that includes regional Victorian businesses from Geelong, Ballarat, or Shepparton, the travel and time costs of multiple full-day co-design workshops can be substantial.

More critically, partnerships that enter co-design without consensus on the training solution will fail to progress to the grant application stage. The FAQ explicitly states that projects will not progress if “the project partners could not reach consensus on the pilot training solution.” This is not hypothetical — it happens regularly. A TAFE that has pedagogical preferences about delivery mode (online versus face-to-face), assessment design, or accreditation pathways may find itself at odds with industry partners who want a fast, practical, non-accredited micro-credential. These tensions must be resolved before or during co-design, not debated during workshops that are meant to be scoping and solution-building exercises.

The practical takeaway: before you submit your EoI, your partnership should have already had the difficult conversations about training mode, accreditation intent, target participant cohort, and pilot scale. Your EoI should reflect a genuine shared vision, not a loosely-agreed partnership of convenience.

3. The “Scalability Vacuum” Scoring Trap

Criterion 5 carries 15% of the total assessment weighting — the joint-highest individual criterion score. It asks applicants to detail how the training could be scaled up after the pilot to benefit a significant number of workers and multiple businesses. This is where applications written by people who understand training design but not grant strategy leave points on the table.

The assessors are not simply asking “could others use this?” They are asking applicants to demonstrate a plausible post-pilot funding and integration model with numbers attached. Weak responses say “this training has strong potential to be adopted across the sector.” Winning responses say: “Following the pilot, we anticipate the training module could be delivered to an estimated 4,500 Victorian workers across 220 businesses in the advanced manufacturing sector within three years. Ongoing delivery costs would be met through a combination of industry subscription model at $X per trainee, state government Skills First funding if the course achieves accreditation, and integration into our partner TAFE’s existing certificate curriculum.”

The agribusiness sector offers a useful template here. A consortium piloting a new short course in precision agriculture technology — drone-based crop monitoring integrated with IoT soil sensors — might demonstrate scalability by mapping the number of Victorian farming enterprises in the relevant commodity groups, the current average skills adoption rate, and the potential revenue model if the training module is commercialised as a professional development product.

If your scalability section cannot be supported by data and a genuine post-pilot business model, expect to score below the competitive threshold on Criterion 5.

If you are reading this after identifying one or more of the traps above in your application plan, do not proceed blind. Explore our business growth program guides for context on how to build competitive grant narratives.

Unsure of your eligibility? Check Your Eligibility Probability Here.

Step-by-Step Submission Guide: From EoI to Grant Funding

The Skills Solutions Partnerships Program Round 3 has a two-stage funding pathway. Understanding this is essential — many applicants mistakenly treat the EoI as the grant application. It is not. The EoI is the gateway to co-design, which is the gateway to the grant application.

Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EoI) — Now Open

Step 1: Confirm your partnership structure before you open the form.

Your EoI must identify all project partners and confirm their eligibility at the point of submission. Do not begin the online form until you have confirmed the following from each partner organisation: current ABN, GST registration date, proof of Victorian operating presence, and written confirmation of their commitment to participate in co-design workshops. The form cannot be saved to partner names added later — your partnership must be finalised.

Step 2: Obtain the Fair Jobs Code Pre-Assessment Certificate (if not already held).

Non-TAFE lead applicants must hold this certificate at the time of application. Applications to the Fair Jobs Code assessment process can take time. If you are starting this process now, do not assume it will be resolved before the 27 March 2026 deadline — begin immediately. Contact the Fair Jobs Code team through the Department of Treasury and Finance.

Step 3: Register for the Information Session on 5 March 2026.

The department is holding an information session on Thursday 5 March 2026 from 2pm to 2:30pm AEDT. Registering and attending this session is strongly advisable. Assessors often provide guidance on what is and is not in scope, common mistakes to avoid, and clarifications on assessment criteria that are not reflected in the published guidelines.

Step 4: Complete the EoI application form online.

The form covers:

• Lead applicant and partner contact details and eligibility confirmations
• Criterion 1: Skills gap description and evidence of demand (weighting: 25%)
• Criterion 2: Partnership mix and collaboration approach (weighting: 15%)
• Criterion 3: Proposed training solution and innovation (weighting: 25%)
• Criterion 4: Benefits to Victorian workers (weighting: 20%)
• Criterion 5: Scale and sustainability post-pilot (weighting: 15%)

The form allows you to save and return using a system-generated password. You can also download a PDF draft of your application at any time using the “View PDF” button. This PDF draft function is extremely useful for circulating your draft to partners for review before submission.

Step 5: Submit before 11:59pm AEDT on Friday 27 March 2026.

The system closes at the deadline. Applications cannot be submitted after this time, and the department does not accept late applications under any circumstances. Allow time for technical issues — do not attempt to submit in the final hour.

Stage 2: Co-Design Process

Successful EoI applicants are invited to participate in a co-design process facilitated by an independent facilitator engaged by the department. Your organisation covers its own costs for staff time, travel, and any associated expenses. All partners must attend all workshops. The output of co-design is a scoped and agreed pilot project.

Partnerships that do not complete co-design, cannot agree on a training solution, or where co-design reveals an existing adequate training solution already exists in the market will not progress to the grant application stage.

Stage 3: Grant Application

Partnerships that successfully complete co-design are invited to apply for a grant of up to $500,000. Grant guidelines are provided at this stage. Co-contributions from project partners must match the grant on a 1:1 basis. Up to 50% of the co-contribution can be in-kind rather than cash, meaning a $500,000 grant requires at least $250,000 in cash co-contribution and up to $250,000 in in-kind contributions such as staff time, facilities, or equipment.

Grant applications are competitively assessed. Invitation to apply for a grant does not guarantee funding.

For Victorian businesses building a wider growth strategy around skills and capability, our guide to Melbourne small business grants and government business loans provides complementary funding options worth exploring in parallel.

Unsure of your eligibility? Check Your Eligibility Probability Here.

FAQ and Glossary: Your Most Pressing Questions Answered

Is the Skills Solutions Partnerships grant taxable in Victoria?

Grant income is generally assessable income for income tax purposes under Commonwealth tax law. The Victorian Government does not exempt grant recipients from federal tax obligations. You should consult your accountant or tax adviser about the tax treatment of grant income in your specific circumstances, particularly given the co-contribution and in-kind components of the funding model.

Can we apply if we previously applied under the Workforce Training Innovation Fund (WTIF) or Workforce Skills Set Fund (WSSF)?

Yes. You may submit an EoI for the same project that was unsuccessful under WTIF or WSSF. However, the department strongly advises you to review the Skills Solutions Partnerships guidelines carefully and contact the program team before resubmitting, as the criteria and program objectives differ. A project that did not meet the WTIF threshold may need to be significantly repositioned to be competitive under Skills Solutions Partnerships criteria.

Can a single business apply without an industry association?

Yes, provided the business is leading on behalf of a group of businesses — for example, a manufacturer with a large Victorian supply chain seeking joint training for itself and its suppliers, or a business operating as a network hub for other businesses in the sector. A true single-business, single-beneficiary application is not what the program intends to fund.

What counts as an “in-kind” co-contribution?

In-kind contributions typically include: staff time allocated to the co-design process and pilot delivery; use of company facilities or equipment for training delivery; intellectual property contributions; and internal project management time. In-kind contributions must be valued at fair market rates and documented thoroughly. Note that in-kind may not exceed 50% of the total co-contribution requirement.

What does “dual sector university” mean?

A dual sector university is an institution that offers both vocational education and training (VET) and higher education programs within the same institution. In Victoria, this includes institutions such as RMIT University, Victoria University, and Swinburne University of Technology. These institutions are subject to the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 and are eligible to participate as the mandatory TAFE/dual sector university partner in a Skills Solutions Partnerships consortium.

Can our partnership include organisations from outside Victoria?

Project partners must have an operating business presence in Victoria, but interstate organisations are not necessarily excluded if they can demonstrate active Victorian operations. However, the training solution itself must be designed for and delivered to Victorian workers, and the primary economic benefit must flow to Victoria. Interstate organisations participating primarily for national content development purposes are unlikely to align with the program’s intent.

What is the Fair Jobs Code pre-assessment certificate and where do I get it?

The Fair Jobs Code is a Victorian Government initiative requiring certain suppliers and grant applicants to demonstrate compliance with workplace laws and fair employment practices. The pre-assessment certificate confirms that an organisation has been assessed as meeting these standards. Applications are made to the Department of Treasury and Finance. TAFEs are exempt from this requirement.

What happens if a training solution already exists?

If the co-design process reveals that an adequate existing training solution already meets the identified skills gap, the project will not progress to the grant application stage. This is also a critical EoI assessment criterion — assessors will look at whether applicants have genuinely researched the existing training market and can articulate with specificity why current offerings are inadequate.

Glossary

EoI (Expression of Interest): The first-stage competitive application process for Skills Solutions Partnerships Round 3. Open 23 February to 27 March 2026.

Dual Sector University: A Victorian university that provides both VET and higher education programs, subject to the Education and Training Reform Act 2006.

Co-contribution: The matching funds or in-kind contributions that project partners must provide equal to the grant amount requested.

Co-design: A structured facilitated process through which successful EoI applicants and their partners collaborate to scope the pilot training project before a formal grant application is made.

Micro-credential: A short, targeted course certifying mastery of a specific skill set, typically delivered outside of full qualification frameworks. A common training product type within Skills Solutions Partnerships.

Skill set: A defined cluster of units of competency from an endorsed training package, delivering a specific occupational outcome. Skill sets are accredited VET products and are eligible training formats under this program.

Fair Jobs Code: A Victorian Government pre-qualification scheme requiring grant applicants to demonstrate compliance with employment and workplace laws.

NCVER: The National Centre for Vocational Education Research — Australia’s primary source of vocational education statistics and labour market research, frequently cited as evidence in grant applications.

If you are exploring related Victorian and Australian funding opportunities for workforce development and industry capability building, our business help and support hub provides an aggregated view of current programs across all states and territories.

Unsure of your eligibility? Check Your Eligibility Probability Here.