Aboriginal business people in Victoria have expressed dismay at the lack of communication around a series of government business grants that have been delayed for months.

The two grants, the Aboriginal Business Support Program, and the Aboriginal Business Growth Program, were offered through the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions to support eligible Aboriginal businesses in Victoria.

Applications closed on September 6, and with the Department's website saying applicants were expected to be told of the outcome "of their fully completed and submitted application from October 2024 onwards".

However, as of yet, businesses have yet to be notified of the outcome of their applications.

When the program was announced last year, Employment Minister Vicki Ward described it as "game changer," which would help "close the economic gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Victorians and help owners expand their businesses".

National Indigenous Times's Indigenous Business Review understands many applicants were relying on knowing the outcome of the process before the busy Christmas period, with one person who has dealings with a number of Indigenous businesses caught up in the process questioning the significant delay.

"What is the rationale for delaying this so long?" they told Indigenous Business Review on condition of anonymity.

"It's only having negative effects."

Business owner and consultant, Isaac Harrison, applied for the grants with expectations they would at least be notified in the timeframe established.

Having declined to take on extra work in expectation of the grant(s) from October onwards, he and his business partner found themselves having to take on odd jobs in order to make it through to Christmas.

"I was really disappointed and frustrated," Mr Harrison said. "Even if they told us, 'No, you haven't won' in October, that would have been amazing."

Furthermore, operations have been stilted, or even halted, based on the timing of the awarding of the grants, with some businesses stuck in limbo.

"One of my businesses [was] going for a capital raise with one of the Traditional Owner groups down here [in Victoria]," Mr Harrison said.

"So a lot of what I can do with the business is on ice… I can't take out money, I can't get a loan…everything is frozen because we're essentially pitching them [that] this is the current credentials of the business."

The Support Program offers grants between $5,000 and $10,000, and the funds can be used for a wide variety of activities, including training, mentorship, networking, marketing, expert advisory services, and accreditation; the Growth Program offers grants between $10,000 and $100,000 to help buy new equipment, complete building alterations or get technical advice and training.

Whilst businesses are hoping for grants, even being told they were unsuccessful was said to be more helpful than being kept in the lurch.

With the application process still being tendered, people spoke to Indigenous Business Review on condition of anonymity to not potentially hinder their chances of success in the application process.

"You know, [you can] sort of move on to other things if you know that you're not going to be doing those particular projects," one person said.

Whilst there isn't a concern that the programs themselves - most of which would need to be completed by May as per the submission process - have been delayed, communication with the Department has been said to be inadequate, with businesses saying they have had difficulty getting any information surrounding the announcements.

"It's just the government hasn't announced anything, so they can't tell people or advise them, because there's no authority to do that yet," one business owner said.

Another noted: "I'm considering whether we even bother with Indigenous elements, because there seems to be no advantage…maybe let's just not identify as Aboriginal because we're not winning grants."

"There's no benefit; it's a detractor."

The two grants are for businesses in Victorian at least 51 per cent owned and operated by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.

In response to questions about the delay, as well as concerns from businesses around a lack of communication, a Victorian Government spokesperson declined to offer a precise date for when the grants would be announced.

The spokesperson told Indigenous Business Review: "The Victorian Aboriginal Business Investment Program is helping Aboriginal businesses across the state to grow their workforces and expand their businesses."

"This program received a larger than expected number of applications and we thank people for their patience while we work through the applications."