Grants
Funding for new workplace initiatives that improve return to work outcomes.
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About grants
Return to Work Innovations grants are an opportunity for organisations to develop new initiatives that improve the recovery and return to work experience of injured workers in Victoria.
We fund initiatives that:
- remove barriers to workers’ recovery
- develop education and capability uplift
- adopt new technologies, systems and processes to support recovery
- apply a holistic approach to workers’ needs and/or
- forge collaborations and partnerships to drive innovation and best-practice approaches.
Each grant round has a specific theme that aligns with a particular area of focus, and targets priority industries and worker cohorts.
Our work supports the five-year WorkSafe Victoria Strategy. The Strategy includes an aim to increase return-to-work rates through partnerships and highlights the importance of community collaborations in helping to achieve that goal.
Grant rounds
Round 3 – Return to Work Innovation Trials
Help solve one of Victoria's most significant return to work challenges.
Earlier rounds
Round 1 – Early intervention for mental injuries
Closed: May 5, 2025
This grant focused on the theme ‘Early Intervention – mental injury’, recognising that the earlier workers receive the right support, the better their recovery outcomes are likely to be. Nine funded initiatives will test practical, evidence‑informed innovations across priority areas, including:
- Early access to treatment and support
- Recovery at work
- Training and education
- Support for high‑risk industries and communities
Funded initiatives
VR therapy to help bus drivers with mental injury get back behind the wheel.
RTWI partner: LC Dyson's Bus Services Pty Ltd
A pilot to help regional health and social assistance workers access timely mental health support by improving flexible recovery options and training leaders to better recognise and respond to mental injury.
RTWI partner: Lifely (interchange Loddon Mallee region)
An insurance broker and EAP provider team up to fast‑track mental health support, empower employers, and guide injured workers back to work with confidence.
RTWI partner: Marsh Risk
An app to fast-track referrals and get injured healthcare workers the support they need, quicker.
RTWI partner: Navigator Group
An AI‑powered, co‑designed tool that supports injured workers with personalised mental health recovery and gives employers real‑time guidance for a smarter, more connected return‑to‑work journey.
RTWI partner: Opposite
Rapid, personalised mental health support that guides injured hospital workers back to work with confidence, and strengthens workplace culture.
RTWI partner: Royal Melbourne Hospital
An intensive trauma treatment program for ambulance paramedics, integrating EMDR, somatic therapies, and AI‑enhanced virtual reality to facilitate recovery.
RTWI partner: Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health
An online tool to empower injured police officers and upskill their managers on best-practice return to work processes.
RTWI partner: Utility Creative
Round 2 - Recovery through work – physical injuries
Closed: November 14, 2025
The focus on ‘Recovery Through Work’ responds to strong evidence that injured workers recover better when they remain connected to their workplace and are supported to return to safe, modified duties as soon as safe to do so. It sees work itself as part of rehabilitation, rather than as something that happens once a complete recovery is made. Target industries - manufacturing, construction, transport, postal and warehousing - account for more than a third of all accepted physical injury WorkCover claims in Victoria, making them priority sectors for this grant round and innovation generally.
View round 2 guidelines
No results returned
Funded initiatives
Helping injured manufacturing workers navigate the WorkCover system, stay connected to work and return safely through early support, education and collaboration.
RTWI partner: Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU)
Using real-time movement data and workplace-based rehabilitation to help injured workers recover safely and return to work sooner.
RTWI partner: ANSA Health
Helping regional manufacturers create more supportive workplaces by strengthening return to work leadership, peer support and recovery planning.
RTWI partner: Geelong Manufacturing Council
Using AI-enabled smartglasses and hands-free training to help injured construction workers rebuild confidence and return to work safely.
RTWI partner: Liminal VR
Helping construction supervisors support injured workers by providing practical tools, training and resources that enable safer and more successful return to work outcomes.
RTWI partner: Nabenet
Helping injured transport and logistics workers stay connected to work through early support, meaningful duties and confident workplace leadership.
RTWI partner: Recovery Partners
Helping supervisors and injured workers navigate recovery at work through practical training, resources and support.
RTWI partner: Recovre
Helping injured transport workers return to work sooner by improving communication, identifying suitable duties and building confidence during recovery.
RTWI partner: Ventura
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