This program funds NSW organisations to implement projects that support women from focus communities who are experiencing persistent barriers to employment.
The Return to Work Pathways Program (RTWPP) supports women from focus communities gain increased work readiness and to secure sustainable employment. The RTWPP delivers on NSW Government priorities including the NSW Women’s Strategy 2023 - 2026.
The primary objective of the RTWPP is to reduce barriers for women to enter or re-enter the workforce. The RTWPP will address the needs of women experiencing complex and persistent barriers to employment, and support women to gain increased work readiness, confidence and employment.
A variety of bespoke and tailored projects will be funded to provide wraparound supports including training, mentoring and pathways to employment. Projects will be targeted to focus communities, responding to their specific needs, life stages and circumstances.
The 2024 RTWPP grant round targets seven focus communities which were less represented in the projects funded under the 2023 grant round.
This program is funded and administered by Women NSW.
Eligibility
1
Who can apply
Applicants must be a legally constituted Australian-based entity. This includes:
incorporated not-for-profit organisations, including community organisations
industry bodies and the private sector working in partnership with the community or government on projects directly supporting women and girls
local councils and shires, including regional organisations of councils and consortia of councils.
social enterprises, defined as a business that trades primarily for a defined social purpose consistent with a public and/or community benefit
Not-for-profit bodies are organisations that are registered and approved as not-for-profit bodies by NSW Fair Trading, Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) or Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC). They can include:
charities, trusts, and cooperatives that are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC)
organisations with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) or Public Benevolent Institution status
not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee and registered in NSW (these must have ACNC registration and or DGR status)
associations (registered under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 and with NSW Fair Trading)
Local Aboriginal Land Councils
religious organisations
organisations established under an Act of Parliament.
Note: Organisations listed on the ACNC Register must have a current and up to date record.
An application must be made by a single organisation that will accept responsibility for the delivery of the project if the application is successful.
Section 355 committees must submit applications under the relevant local council name.
2
Who the grant is targeted towards
Focus Communities
The target group for the program is women who face enduring and complex barriers to enter or re-enter the workforce.
In addition, projects funded under the 2024 RTWPP need to specifically target and support one of the following focus communities:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls
lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer and/or asexual (LGBTIQA+) women and girls
women and girls with disability
women and girls with mental illness
women and girls living in regional, rural and remote areas
women veterans
women and girls in contact with the criminal justice system
Only one application for funding will be accepted per organisation per project.
3
Types of projects funded under this grant
The RTWPP will fund a variety of models and funding will vary according to the proposed model and corresponding extent of services to be provided, in response to focus community's needs.
Funding for projects will vary within the range of $100,000 - $250,000 depending on the project model, the number of participants to be supported, and the level and intensity of services and supports provided to participants.
Projects should provide a model delivering some or all the following components, with a minimum of two service components required. Supports can include, but are not limited to the following:
Tailored wraparound supports - Supported referrals to services, career coaching and guidance, other support activities, and programs to build confidence. Time-limited support following participant’s employment.
Mentoring - Provide mentoring using a suitable mentoring model, this may include peer and volunteer mentoring.
Training - Provide appropriate training programs in a variety of formats responding to participants needs. Supported referral to other training and education options as required.
Work readiness - Pre-employment training, work readiness skills training and coaching to build participants' capability and confidence.
Pathways to employment - Facilitated employment opportunities using models such as job placement, paid traineeships and other programs that offer established pipelines to employment.
Engagement of employers - Partnering with employers to facilitate employment options for participants and for employers to create supportive environments.
4
Who can’t apply
Funding will not be provided to:
individuals or groups of individuals, including sole traders
unincorporated organisations
for profit commercial organisations and entities
sub-contractors – either for program management or for project delivery on behalf of non-eligible organisations
NSW Government or Australian Government agencies or their entities (including public trusts).
Most recent recipients
ACON
$249,808
Proud and Ready: Empowering LGBTQ+ women in community health promotion internship program
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What was approved
Approved for ACON
$249,808
Proud and Ready provides an evidence-based, paid health promotion and community development internship and peer network for NSW LGBTQ women. The aim is to demonstrably improve the knowledge, skills, and experience of participants, equip them to overcome barriers to employment, provide real work experience, and support for future placements.
$249,808 was approved by
Minister for Women
Date approved
June 2024
Location of the project
Hunter, Northern NSW, Sydney
Location of the recipient
Sydney
About the grant
Applications approved
9
Applications received
72
2023-24 Return to Work Pathways Program
Agency funding this grant
Women NSW
Program term
16 months
Beacon Laundry
$250,000
Women @ Work: supporting jobs and employment for long-term unemployed women living in the Northern Rivers region of NSW
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What was approved
Approved for Beacon Laundry
$250,000
The Women@Work project focuses on women facing significant barriers to employment and providing pathways to employment at Beacon laundry or in mainstream employment. The project provides tailored wrap around supports, metoringand on-the-job training.
$250,000 was approved by
Minister for Women
Date approved
June 2024
Location of the project
Northern NSW
Location of the recipient
Byron
About the grant
Applications approved
9
Applications received
72
2023-24 Return to Work Pathways Program
Agency funding this grant
Women NSW
Program term
Two years
Community Resources Limited
$228,480
The RENEW Project – Rejuvenating, Employment, Nurturing and Empowering Women
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What was approved
Approved for Community Resources Limited
$228,480
RENEW will engage with Aboriginal women in the Forster-Tuncurry region through a flexible and culturally safe program that includes training, employment, and mentoring. Participants will build on-the-job skills and confidence, receiving holistic support to achieve qualifications and lasting employment.
$228,480 was approved by
Minister for Women
Date approved
June 2024
Location of the project
Mid North Coast
Location of the recipient
Mid-Coast
About the grant
Applications approved
9
Applications received
72
2023-24 Return to Work Pathways Program
Agency funding this grant
Women NSW
Program term
Two years
COMPACT Incorporated
$250,000
Successful Futures for Regional Women and Girls
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What was approved
Approved for COMPACT Incorporated
$250,000
Successful Futures targets regional women and girls at all stages of their career journey, directly supporting them to confidently enter or return to work, gain work experience, upskill, refresh or change career pathways.
$250,000 was approved by
Minister for Women
Date approved
June 2024
Location of the project
Murrumbidgee
Location of the recipient
Wagga Wagga
About the grant
Applications approved
9
Applications received
72
2023-24 Return to Work Pathways Program
Agency funding this grant
Women NSW
Program term
Two years
Generation Australia
$246,200
Empowered Pathways: Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
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What was approved
Approved for Generation Australia
$246,200
The Empowered Pathways project will support 60 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women into employment through training, mentorship, wraparound support, and employment support.
$246,200 was approved by
Minister for Women
Date approved
June 2024
Location of the project
Nepean Blue Mountains, South Western Sydney, Western Sydney
Make sure you have the following items at hand before you start your application:
proof of legal status as a not-for-profit organisation or a Section 355 committee under the Local Government Act 1993
relevant insurance documentation, including a valid Certificate of Currency for Public Liability Insurance with a minimum cover of $10 million in the name of the applicant.
evidence of income from other sources, including cash and in-kind.
2
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
3
Eligibility
Your project must meet the eligibility criteria.
Eligible organisations must meet the following assessment criteria to be considered for funding:
Relevant and evidence-based
Your project must:
have a clear and well-refined problem statement, that identifies the needs of the nominated focus communities of women that will be addressed through your project
clearly outline how the project approach and service delivery model are supported by evidence or leading practice
provide a relevant, feasible and evidence-based proposal for how the project will respond to the needs of women experiencing complex barriers to employment
Effective service delivery model
Your project must:
have a well-developed service delivery model for the nominated focus community that set out the types, level, and intensity of supports to be provided to participants and provides a rationale and costings for the model
Project partnerships and engagement
Your project must:
outline the partnerships and community engagement required to support the project, and clearly outline partner contributions
demonstrate effective referral pathways with relevant services and community organisations
demonstrate an approach to engaging employers or existing partnerships with employers and businesses
demonstrate well-established connections with the nominated focus community
Project delivery and outcomes
The project must:
set out clearly defined outcomes and how they will be measured and evaluated
have an evaluation strategy with clear metrics for measuring success in achieving identified program outcomes
provide a clear plan for delivering the project which sets out key project activities and milestones
provide specific timeframes and milestones for each activity or deliverable.
Organisational capacity
You must:
demonstrate that your organisation has the appropriate skills and expertise to deliver the project, including prior experience delivering similar project activities and outcomes
demonstrate capacity to provide ongoing value beyond the funding provided under the Return to Work Pathways Program
Value for money
Projects must represent value for money in terms of both overall costs, and the value of the outcomes and benefits that will be delivered.
The proposal must outline how many women will benefit from the project and how the proposed service model represents value for money.
Applications will receive a higher score for this criterion if your project delivers a benefit to a greater number of women compared to a project with similar delivery costs, that provides a similar level of benefit, but to a smaller number of women.
Recognition of women with complex needs: Higher cost models for women with complex needs should be clearly outlined and costed, including evidence that supports the model.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: NSW Minister for Women
The assessment process is competitive. Your application must clearly demonstrate how your project addresses the assessment criteria and compares to other applications. The assessment panel will consider all elements of your project equally.
Please note that there can be no assumed knowledge. The assessment panel can only consider the information provided in your application. Successful applications will be assessed based on a scoring system drawn from the assessment criteria in the program guidelines. Consideration is made based on a distribution of projects across focus communities and geographic spread.
All applications are assessed through the staged process as outlined below:
Stage 1
All submitted applications are initially reviewed to ensure compliance with mandatory eligibility criteria and required documentation.
All submitted grant applications will be assessed against eligibility criteria, prioritisation, and assessment criteria.
Stage 2
An assessment panel will assess all eligible applications against the assessment criteria. The panel consists of qualified and experienced representatives, and may include Women NSW staff, representatives of Government agencies, and representatives from the private sector.
Stage 3
The assessment panel makes their recommendations to the decision maker, the NSW Minister for Women, who then makes the final decision.
The Minister for Women is the final decision maker in determining the successful grant recipients.
Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of the assessment process.
Support and contact
Please ensure you complete your application by 11:59pm on 11 March 2024 as the grant will close exactly at midnight. Late applications will not be accepted.
Resources
The following resource is provided to applicants preparing an application for the 2024 Return to Work Pathways Program:
