Funding for female founders of startup businesses to scale their startups into domestic and global markets
Grants to help female-founded startups scale into domestic and global markets, provided on a co-contribution basis with mentoring and expert advice.
Funding is awarded through a competitive two-stage process (Expression of Interest then invited Stage Two application).
To be eligible you must be a female founded (majority owned and led by women) startup as defined in the grant opportunity guidelines.
You must have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and be one of the following entities:
- an entity incorporated in Australia
- a partnership
- a sole trader
Applications must:
- provide a signed declaration (on the provided template) that your startup is female founded (majority owned and led by women)
- certify that your startup will remain majority owned and led by women for the duration of the grant (requirement of the grant agreement)
- include all mandatory attachments
Where applying for greater than 50% grant percentage (up to 70%), you must provide evidence that one or more of the following applies:
- your head office is located in a regional area
- your business is an Indigenous business or at least one founding team member is an Indigenous Australian
- at least one founding team member (owners and leaders) is a person with a disability
- at least one founding team member (owners and leaders) has migrated to Australia as a refugee or humanitarian entrant
If successful in the EOI stage and invited to Stage Two you must provide evidence to support your source of funding (e.g. letter from contributor/s confirming funding amount); a pitch deck (PDF or PowerPoint max 10 slides) and/or link to a CEO video pitch (no longer than 5 minutes); business financial documents including most current profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow statements; a business plan including revenue model, customer acquisition and company/management structure, scope, implementation methodology, timeframes, budget, risks and success measures; a trust deed (where applicable).
Get a personalised eligibility check — your match score, which criteria you meet, and what to watch out for.
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Contact information available on the grant website.
Last updated: 12 February 2026