Western BACE is a Not-for-Profit Business Hub located at 222 Ferris Road, Cobblebank, known for its Business Incubator residency program.

Specifically designed to help startups and small businesses in the region grow. Providing workspaces, mentorship, education, and access to investors for startups or sole entrepreneurs. Allowing companies to take shape while operating at a lower cost during the early stages of business incubation

We aim to achieve this by creating a community driven business hub where people matter, feel a sense of belonging and are supported in striving for growth and excellence.

The Western BACE is launching an E-commerce Incubator in 2021! We are now accepting applications.  

About the E-commerce Incubator and why we are doing this?

The E-commerce Incubator has been designed to support 10 early-stage and/or existing E-commerce (online) businesses looking to expand to build, launch, and grow a sustaining business. We understand the challenges involved in starting and operating a business. Through the Incubator companies will have the opportunity to access subsided warehouse space, mentorship and a network to use as sounding board, access potential funding avenues and partnerships. 

What can I expect?

The E-commerce Incubator initiative will offer combined workshops, bootcamps, practical business planning, access to expert support and mentoring, subsidised warehouse space, community, and a network to help your E-commerce journey. Three $2,000 seed funding scholarships are available. 

• Pre-Incubation 1-on-1 Business Model Canvas session. (A practical business planning session designed to fully flesh out your business model)  
• Digital Marketing bootcamp (intro to digital marketing, Creating a digital marketing strategy, Designing for Conversion, Data, Reporting & Optimisation) 
• Logistics masterclasses (Inventory management, warehousing & storing, fulfillments) 
• Systems masterclasses (Selecting online platform portal, stock management, quality control)  
• Access to on demand Expert hub hours (Experts in residence/peer to peer support) 
  

Who are we looking for?

We welcome all early-stage product-based* E-commerce businesses in the City of Melton and Melbourne West. Do you: 

• Have a business idea and/or existing E-commerce business
• Scaling & growing an E-commerce business
• Can do attitude
• Are ready to/need to utilise a warehouse space within the next 3 months

*This incubator is focused on E-commerce businesses selling a physical product that would benefit from co–locating with a cohort of other product-based E-commerce businesses. If you are a service-based E-commerce business, please contact us about how we can support you through our established incubator.

Who can apply to participate in the incubator? Who can apply for subsidised warehouse space & seed funding scholarship? 

Anyone in Melbourne’s West can apply to participate in the Incubator, however, to apply for the seed funding sponsorship and subsidised warehouse space supported by the City of Melton you must be a:

• registered business in the City of Melton (or intending to register) 
• residing in the City of Melton 

Apply for Western BACE E-commerce Incubator