Top Small Business Grants For Women-Owned Businesses In Australia

Need funding for your women-led business? In Australia, there are several small business grants for women that are offered on a state and territory level, as well as by the federal government.

In this article, we've rounded up 12 of the most notable small business grants for women that are open at the time of writing in mid-March 2023.

What makes grants an attractive funding option is that – to put it frankly –?you don’t have to pay the money back and it doesn’t require you to give up any ownership in your business. And that just scratches the surface of the benefits. Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your operations, there's a grant out there that can help you achieve your goals, so get ready to check out some of the top small business grants in Australia!

Below is a condensed list. For more details including links and grant amounts, head to the Lift Women blog where you can also join our mailing list to get the low-down on our own grant, the annual Female Founder Grant Challenge.

NSW

1. Return To Pathways Program — for businesses helping women who face enduring, complex barriers to enter or reenter the workforce
2. MVP Ventures Program — for businesses that are commercialising an innovative product, process or service with funded activities carried out in NSW

QLD

1. Accelerating Female Founders Program — for businesses developing or significantly improving an innovative product or service, with the intention to commercialise it
2. Female Founders Co-Investment Fund — grant matching for businesses who have just secured pre-seed or seed investment

SA

1. Seed-Start Program — for early-stage startups bringing a unique product or service that has a sustainable competitive advantage in both national and international markets.
2. Innovation Ecosystem — for businesses creating programs, events and activities that greatly benefit SA’s startup community.

VIC

1. Victorian Women’s Trust — for not-for-profits committed to improving certain outcomes for Victorian women, girls, non-binary and gender diverse people
2. The Alice Anderson Fund — grant matching for women-led startups.

TAS

1. Small Business Growth Strategy Grant Program — for businesses that align with Tassie’s Small Business Growth Strategy 2026.
2. There may also be local council grants that are appropriate for your business.

ACT

1. Innovation Connect Grant — for early-stage innovative entrepreneurs and startups with technical and commercial feasibility
2. Community Zero Emissions Grants Program — for projects aimed at lowering emissions in response to climate change

NT

1. Business Innovation Program — for all startups with funding and advisory services to help plan, develop and commercialise your project
2. Global Trade Scheme — for businesses that want to become export-ready and bring their products to new markets

Nationwide

1. Boosting Female Founders Initiative — actually not currently open but worth keeping an eye on! In 2020, the Australian Government announced a total of $52.2 million in grant funding for this Initiative and there have been 3 rounds so far.
2. Entrepreneurs’ Programme — with its Innovation Connections grant for businesses in growth sectors who want to research an idea with commercial potential, and Accelerating Commercialisation grant for businesses with novel offerings that are ready to scale up and commercialise in global markets.

For our female founders in WA, we’re the bearer of bad news — there looks to be no (or at least, very limited) grant opportunities for you so get behind the nationwide grants!

With so many opportunities to secure extra funding for your startup, it’s important to get clear on the eligibility criteria, application processes and funding amounts so you can apply for the grant best suited for your needs. This is also, by no means, an exhaustive list of small business grants for women that are open to you, especially as more initiatives are always popping up! Bookmark your state government’s business grants page and check back regularly to stay on top of different grants and important dates.?

At Lift Women, we are passionate about inspiring and empowering female entrepreneurs to achieve their business dreams — and part of this is also funding them ourselves! For 2 consecutive years, we have run our Female Founder Grant Challenge. Through the Challenge, we not only award the winning female founders a cash grant, but also thousands of dollars in support in the areas of strategy, accounting, legal, marketing and more. We will definitely be back for another Challenge in 2023 so join our mailing list to receive the latest updates.

Access more FREE RESOURCES on our Lift Women Community Platform. Register today!