Overview and results
The Capital Investment stream of the VAIG has been a catalyst for growth in the food and beverage industry in Western Australia. It has stimulated investments in local manufacturing and value-adding opportunities, while also building resilience to overcome supply chain vulnerabilities and reducing reliance on imported and interstate processed products.
Since 2020, the State Government has committed $16.5 million to support agriculture, food, and beverage businesses across regional and metropolitan Western Australia to expand or relocate their value-adding and manufacturing operations in WA. This support has helped build competitiveness and grow their operations, leading to a stronger and more diverse economy.
To date, the Value Add Investment Grants have:
- Supported 28 capital projects;
- Leveraged $195.8 million in private sector investment;
- Created an estimated 600 new jobs through Round 1 projects with an additional 311 jobs set to be created through Round 2 projects.
Case Studies
The transformational Value Add Investment Grants (VAIG) have supported agriculture, food and beverage businesses investing in the expansion or relocation of their value adding and manufacturing operations in WA.
Projects funded have included expanding pork, poultry and smallgoods processing, converting crop waste to stock feed, enhancing supplies and range of food ingredients, increasing vegetable processing output, and upgrading wine and brewery facilities.
Rocky Ridge Brewing Company
The grant helped Rocky Ridge Brewing Company to invest up their production capacity to meet the demand of growing export markets and double the size of their off-grid solar and battery solution. The process was seamless and the grant gave the company confidence moving forward. Check out their story below:
Margaret River Hemp Co
Margaret River Hemp Co leveraged their grant to construct the first commercial scale processing facility for WA-grown raw hemp. It is producing hurd, a raw material input used to manufacture hempcrete blocks for the sustainable building industry, and bast fibre which is a high-value input into textile, hydro-mulch and other manufacturing industries. The grant has helped them to advance and speed up the development to this emerging industry. Check out their story below.
Successful Recipients
Round 3
The WA Government is helping food and beverage businesses across the state to cultivate success through $7.08 million in Round 3 of the Value Add Investment Grants. Eight Western Australian businesses have benefited from the latest round of funding, which will support expansion, new product lines and more staff.
| Mount Barker Chicken | Upgrade processing facility to increase capacity. | $1,000,000 |
| Kojonup Feeds | Expand and upgrade stockfeed mill. | $750,000 |
| Forest Hill Wines | Upgrade bottling line to service local industry. | $580,000 |
| Ord River District Cooperative | Construct production facility for stockfeed, including cotton. | $750,000 |
| Foodfolk Australia | Relocate and upgrade ready made food facility. | $1,000,000 |
| Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community | Expand cool storage facility for melons. | $1,000,000 |
| D'Orsogna | Upgrade and expand processing and packaging facilities for meat products. | $1,000,000 |
| AAA Egg Company | Modernise processing equipment for value added products. | $1,000,000 |
Round 2
A total of ten WA food and beverage manufacturing and value adding businesses shared in the $6.3 million from the Round Two capital grants, enabling recipients to overcome supply chain challenges, reduce reliance on imported and interstate processes products, and capture value adding opportunities.
Find out about the grants awarded under the Value Add Investment Grants Round Two HERE.
Round 1
A total of 18 WA food and beverage manufacturing and value adding businesses from the south coast to Kununurra shared in the $10.2 million capital grants, enabling recipients to upgrade and increase capacity, resilience, scalability and productivity.
Find out about the grants awarded under the Value Add Investment Grants Round One HERE.