Backing local business growth

Meet our 2025 Hills & Coast Business Grant recipients

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From gourmet food production to print and signage, the 2025 round of the Hills & Coast Business Grant reflects the diverse strength of our region’s small manufacturing sector, and the importance of timely support to help businesses take their next step.

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Now in its 5th year, the Hills & Coast Business Grant 2025 provided funding for manufacturing businesses based in the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula or Kangaroo Island, serving as a catalyst for business establishment and growth.

Thanks to the generosity of our corporate partners Thomas Foods, The Fleurieu Milk Company, Bendigo Bank Fleurieu and Neutrog Biological Fertilisers, the 2025 round was able to offer recipients matched funding from $2,500 to $20,000.

The successful applicants demonstrated a capacity for their projects to strengthen local manufacturing, boost regional economies and create pathways for longer-term jobs, investment and innovation.

Taronga Almonds, a family-run snack business, produces small-batch almond treats using locally grown nuts. With demand increasing, the business sought funding to improve efficiency and staff safety. The grant will support the installation of a new linear weighing machine, an oven tower, and a canopy system.

Together, these upgrades will double baking capacity, reduce manual handling risks, and significantly increase packaging speed. This investment strengthens Taronga’s ability to meet growing national demand, opens up contract manufacturing opportunities, and supports sustainable local employment.

Little Yarra Cheese Company produces premium goat cheeses, recently gaining national attention with a Champion Cheese award. To keep up with demand they’ll use grant funding to expand their Victor Harbor factory, install a larger milk vat, and improve processing and storage capacity.

They anticipate these upgrades will lead to a 250% increase in production and improve cold storage for national distribution. The expansion supports new product development, job creation, and greater reach into interstate markets.

Inside Out Print & Signage delivers print, signage and design solutions for local businesses and community groups. Currently reliant on an external supplier for signage production, the business will bring this capability in-house through the purchase of a wide-format printer, cutter, and laminator.

This shift will cut turnaround times from 4–5 days to as little as 1–2 days, allowing the business to expand signage fulfilment capacity. The investment also supports local manufacturing and will enable the hiring of an apprentice to meet future growth.

Oliver & Press Winemakers is a family-run contract processor supporting over 30 wine brands across the region. To ease bottlenecks during vintage, they plan to purchase an additional pneumatic press dedicated to white grapes.

This upgrade is predicted to save more than 200 labour hours annually, reduce water and chemical use, and increase throughput during peak season. It also allows Oliver & Press to take on more work, improving efficiency, client satisfaction, and supporting local growers and wine tourism.

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We look forward to seeing the outcomes of these projects once they are completed and acquitted later this year.

To see how others in our region have used their funding, take a look our previous years’ success stories.

We also invite local manufacturers to join our Manufacturing Network to stay informed about relevant opportunities, including any future rounds of the Hills & Coast Business Grant.