Victorian Cyber Security Training Grants for Small Businesses
Up to $1.5 million in Victorian Government funding is currently available through two grant programs designed to build the skills and capability of Victorian small businesses.
For eligible business organisations and councils, that funding may provide an opportunity to deliver practical cyber awareness and cyber resilience training to the businesses they support.
Cybernao can work with eligible organisations to develop and deliver live, practical cyber awareness training as part of a funded program.
What funding is available?
Two Victorian Government grant programs are currently open, with up to 300 grants of $5,000 available across the programs.
Multicultural Business Skills Fund
The Multicultural Business Skills Fund offers up to 100 grants of $5,000 to eligible Victorian business associations supporting multicultural small businesses.
Cyber security is specifically listed as an eligible technology skill.
Funding can support activities including training, short courses, facilitated learning, workshops, webinars and mentoring. Eligible costs include engaging an expert trainer or speaker.
Applications close 4pm, 28 September 2026 and may close earlier if available funding is allocated. Find more information here: https://business.vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs/multicultural-business-skills-fund-grant-program
Shop Local Business Fund
The Shop Local Business Fund offers up to 200 grants of $5,000 to eligible Victorian business associations and local councils.
Funding supports initiatives that build small business capability, including training, workshops, webinars, business continuity and resilience activities.
Expert trainers and speakers are among the eligible expenses.
Applications close 4pm, 30 September 2026 and may close earlier if available funding is allocated. Find more information here https://business.vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs/shop-local-business-fund
Why consider cyber awareness training?
Victorian residents reported more than $64.4 million in scam losses to Scamwatch in 2025.
At the same time, the Cyber Wardens program, which has provided free cyber security education for Australian small businesses, is coming to an end.
Small businesses continue to face phishing, invoice fraud, business email compromise, impersonation, account takeover and increasingly convincing AI-enabled scams.
But cyber awareness cannot simply be about memorising a growing list of scams.
Scammers and social engineers use human behaviour. They create urgency, build trust, impersonate authority, trigger fear and make unusual requests feel reasonable.
Cybernao's training focuses on helping people recognise those techniques, pause, question what is happening and independently verify before they act.
Can my business apply for the grants?
Individual small businesses generally do not apply directly for these two programs.
Depending on the fund, eligible applicants include Victorian business associations, industry organisations, chambers, trader groups and local councils.
These organisations can use funding to provide skills and capability-building activities to the small businesses they support.
An eligible business association may also be able to apply to both programs where each application is for a different project.
Can the funding be used to engage Cybernao?
Both programs allow eligible organisations to engage expert trainers or speakers.
Cybernao can work with an eligible organisation to develop cyber awareness training appropriate for its businesses, members or community.
Programs can be tailored around topics including:
scam and social engineering awareness
phishing and business email compromise
invoice and payment fraud
impersonation and AI-enabled scams
recognising urgency, authority, fear and trust as manipulation techniques
verification and safer decision-making
practical workplace cyber awareness
simulated cyber incidents for teams
Cybernao's training is designed for mixed levels of technical confidence. Participants do not need a technical or cyber security background.
What does Cybernao training look like?
Cybernao delivers live, facilitator-led cyber awareness training rather than relying solely on online modules.
For businesses, training can include immersive simulated cyber incidents where teams encounter realistic phishing, impersonation, payment fraud and social engineering scenarios and work together to decide how to respond.
The focus is on the human side of cyber security: what people notice, what they trust, how they make decisions under pressure and what can help them stop before a mistake becomes an incident.
Interested in using your grant for cyber awareness training?
If you represent an eligible Victorian business organisation, industry group or council and are considering cyber awareness or cyber resilience training, contact Cybernao to discuss what could work for your businesses or members.