Business & community

Community food relief

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Information for community organisations providing food relief services in Victoria.

The Victorian Government is committed to supporting Victorians who are facing food insecurity to access healthy and culturally appropriate food.

2025-26 Community Food Relief Program

Grant applications are closed for the 2025-26 Community Food Relief Program.

The Victorian Government has invested $9 million to deliver a second round of the Community Food Relief Program.

There were two streams in this year's program: Local Grants and Coordination Grants.

2025-26 recipients

To see the recipients, visit:

Local grants

Local grants support food relief activities and food security initiatives. These projects are delivered by:

  • Neighbourhood Houses
  • community and volunteer-led organisations (can include religious organisations and grassroots groups)  
  • social enterprises
  • First Peoples-led organisations
  • Victorian local government entities, public health services, and peak bodies acting as an auspice for a community group or groups, or as the lead applicant that will support and provide funding to other local community organisations. 

Applications closed on Tuesday 19 August 2025.

Find out more about the Community Food Relief Program – Local Grants

Coordination grants

Coordination grants support established state-wide or regional food relief providers to deliver partnership projects to:

  • make food supply and delivery more effective across Victoria
  • help food relief reach more people and places across the state.

Applications closed on Tuesday 5 August 2025.

Find out more about the Community Food Relief Program – Coordination Grants

Victorian healthy food relief guidelines

Everyone living in Victoria has the right to nutritious food to thrive. The Victorian healthy food relief guidelines aim to help food relief providers to offer a variety of nutritious and culturally appropriate foods to support the health and wellbeing of those needing food relief.

These guidelines aim to:

  • strengthen efforts to provide food relief to meet the needs of communities
  • promote providing food relief in dignified and respectful ways
  • help to ensure a variety of nutritious, minimally processed and culturally appropriate food options are available.

Download the Victorian healthy food relief guidelines

Download the Victorian healthy food relief guidelines poster

Food relief distribution services

If your organisation delivers a food relief program, you may be eligible to receive regular food donations from a state-wide or regional distribution service. These services each have their own eligibility and review criteria and may operate a wait list based on available supply and demand. Food supplies are variable depending on the donations they receive.

Community organisations are also encouraged to foster relationships with local food businesses to explore donation options and develop partnerships with other nearby organisations to coordinate efforts at the local level.

State-wide food relief providers

Regional foodshares

Food relief assistance

If you, or someone you know needs immediate food relief assistance, we encourage you to use Ask Izzy app to connect with organisations for local services or support.

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