The Sebastopol facility is now a state-of-the-art food grade quality, thanks to the generosity of the Community Bank Buninyong and Ballarat District Support and Fundraising Charity, which each donated $13,000 towards the project.

BRI chief executive officer Geoff Russell said the not-for-profit charitable organisation started packaging a range of high quality hot chocolate and chai products for Grounded Pleasures two years ago.

"The partnership has flourished and grown to the point now where products are about to be exported as well as maintaining growth in the domestic market," Mr Russell said.

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He said BRI now required international food accreditation to meet this new export initiative and to achieve the accreditation, internal parts of the facility needed to be upgraded.

"The facility is now state-of-the-art food grade quality which will on a continuing basis, ensure that our supported employees can enjoy the benefits of ongoing employment," Mr Russell said.

"For people living with a disability, having a job is more than a wage - it is a doorway to engagement in community life, enhanced feelings of self-worth and promotion of citizenship."

BRI already has a domestic food accreditation for food packaging for the Australian market.

Community Bank Buninyong chairman Ian Corcoran said it was the organisation's first investment project with BRI.

"It really speaks to the purpose of what we are all about. Our mission is to build community which essentially is about feeding prosperity, not off it," Mr Corcoran said.

"We do this by building connections, we facilitate conversations and we leverage the resources of our partners. Funding the BRI food packaging facility upgrade for greater use is an example of what we actually do."

Mr Russell thanked the Community Bank Buninyong and Ballarat District Support and Fundraising Charity for partnering together to complete the upgrade.

BRI is close to receiving the international food accreditation.

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