Key information
- Status: Opening soon
- Grant amount: From $25,000 to $750,000
- Application opens: 17 February 2026
- Application closes: 13 March 2026, 3:00 pm
Program objective
The purpose of the Investing in Women Funding Program is to fund innovative projects that focus on the three pillars that align with the NSW Women’s Strategy (2023 – 2026).
This program is administered by Women NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible, applicants must:
- be a legally constituted Australian-based entity. This includes:
- Incorporated not-for-profit organisations, including community organisations
- Social enterprises, defined as a business that trades primarily for a defined social purpose consistent with a public and/or community benefit
- Majority women-owned and managed small businesses
- have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
- have appropriate public liability insurance (minimum of $10 million).
- address the NSW National Redress Scheme sanctions (included in these guidelines).
- have an account with an Australian Authorised deposit-taking institution
- not have outstanding acquittals with Women NSW
- not be receiving or have received government assistance from another program for the proposed project or a similar project
- include an applicant contribution (cash or in-kind) of a minimum 10 percent of the total project cost (not 10 percent of the amount of funding sought)
- provide a budget for their project
- be a single organisation that will accept responsibility for the delivery of the project if the application is successful.
Who the grant is targeted towards
Projects must involve high-quality activity, engagement, and participation designed with and for one of the focus communities in the NSW Women’s Strategy 2023-2026:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls
- carers
- girls and young women living in, or who have lived in, out-of-home care
- lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer and/or asexual (LGBTIQA+) women and girls
- older women
- women and girls experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage
- women and girls facing homelessness
- women and girls from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities
- women and girls in contact with the criminal justice system
- women and girls living in regional, rural, remote and cross-border areas
- women and girls with disability
- women and girls with a mental illness
- women and girls who have a history of, or are currently experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence
- women veterans (and the women partners of veterans and service members)
- young women
Types of projects funded under this grant
Five key factors for successful projects are:
- The likely benefits of the project are obvious, valuable to the focus community and easily identifiable
- The project will deliver clear outcomes that align with Pillars 2 or 3 of the NSW Women's Strategy 2023 - 2026
- The project will be located in an area corresponding to the greatest need for the focus community
- A clear connection to, involvement with and outcome for one of the focus communities
- Evidence for the need for the project and the expertise of the applicant organisation to deliver the project is clearly demonstrated
The Assessment Panel may take into account a range of factors when recommending a list of eligible applications for grant funding. In addition to performance against the assessment criteria, the Panel may take into account:
- Ensuring an equitable geographical spread of activities across NSW
- Ensuring a balance of projects supporting metropolitan and regional NSW communities. ‘Regional NSW’ refers to all of the parts of NSW that sit outside the metropolitan areas of Greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong
- Ensuring an equitable spread of focus communities will be supported
- Ensuring an even spread of single- and multi-year projects
As other grants currently administered by Women NSW focus on Pillar 1: (Economic opportunity and advancement), priority may be given to projects targeting Pillars 2 (Health and Wellbeing) and 3 (Participation and Empowerment). However, competitive projects targeting Pillar 1 will also be considered.
When the project can start and end
Projects must be complete by the following dates:
- Up to 12-month projects: within 12 months from the start date or receiving grant monies (latest end date being December 2027)
- Multi-year projects: up to three years from the start date or receiving grant monies (latest end date being December 2029)
If changes must be made, Grant recipients must contact Women NSW in writing to seek approval prior to the date.
The project should be started by 1 January 2027 and the project must be completed by 31 December 2029.
Outcomes for projects funded under this grant
Investing in Women grants aim to achieve the following outcomes, focusing on the three pillars that align with the NSW Women’s Strategy (2023 – 2026):1
1. Economic opportunity and advancement
- Increase in women’s labour force participation in NSW
- Increase in gender equality for taking leave to care for others in NSW
- Decrease in gender segregation in the NSW workforce
- Decrease in the gender pay gap in NSW
- Increase in women’s personal financial wellbeing in NSW
- Increased skills to enter the workforce
- Improved levels of work readiness and confidence
- Reduced financial stress
- Increase in number of women-owned/led businesses
2. Health and wellbeing
- Improved mental health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Improved access to health services and information for [diverse] women
- Increase in actual and perceived safety for women in NSW
- Increase in women’s life satisfaction in NSW
- Increase in safe and stable housing for women in NSW
3. Participation and empowerment
- Decrease in gender segregation in NSW education
- Increase in completion of education and training by girls and women in NSW
- Increase of [diverse] women in senior leadership in NSW
- Increase in women’s social connectedness in NSW
- Increased participation by women in sport in NSW
- Increased participation by women in creative industries in NSW
- Increased volunteering by women in NSW
- Increased consultation and co-design with diverse women in NSW
What costs you can apply for
Grant funding can only be used for expenses directly related to the delivery of the project in NSW. Applicants must clearly set out proposed expenditure in the full grant application and outline how the project will demonstrate value for money.
Some (non-exhaustive) examples include:
- Staff, contractors and consultants, where the costs are for direct project delivery only
- Evaluation activities
- Resource materials
- Equipment for participant use, transport and venue hire
- Publicity, communications and marketing activities and materials
- Catering costs, food and non-alcoholic beverages for community engagement activities
- Travel costs within NSW exclusively for the purpose of the project
Who can’t apply
You are not eligible if you are:
- An individual or group of individuals, including sole traders
- An unincorporated organisation
- Insolvent
- A sub-contractor – either for program management or for project delivery on behalf of non-eligible organisations
- A trust or trustee
- A partnership
- A federal, state, territory or local government agency or body (including public trusts and government business enterprises)
- Receiving or have received NSW or Commonwealth Government funding for the proposed project or a similar project
- A business not included under “Who is eligible to apply”
- Applicants requesting 100 percent of project funding from Women NSW
- Applicants with outstanding acquittal requirements with Women NSW
- NSW Government schools, Area Health Services and public hospitals. However, an associated incorporated not-for-profit body, such as a Parents and Citizens Association or hospital auxiliary is eligible
- Applicants with an obligation under the NSW National Redress Scheme who have not joined the Scheme
What costs you can't apply for
- Business capital or start-up funding.
- Purchase of, or cost of infrastructure, assets and/or capital equipment and works.
- Permanent equipment purchases (e.g. computers, phones or iPads or other items not specific to the project).
- Operating costs of the organisation or recurrent expenses (e.g. insurance, leases, bills, general office consumables and disposables).
- Permanent wages, salaries and on-costs for ongoing staff.
- Organisational development costs for internal staff (e.g. staff training, conferences, workshops, planning days).
- Conferences – you cannot use the fund to conferences and workshops, or to pay for an individual or group attend a conference. This does not include structured, time limited training sessions and workshops with practical and clear outcomes for project participants.
- Prizes, competition or awards (e.g. cash giveaways, lucky door prizes, raffle prizes).
- Interstate and/or overseas travel allowances or costs associated with membership of boards/councils.
- Costs associated with membership of boards/councils
- Retrospective costs (any money spent before a grant is approved).
- Fundraising for the purposes of fundraising for charities or for the organisation’s personal use.
- Political activities which promote or support a political party
- Projects that are run solely for commercial purposes to the benefit of the delivery partner but not the program participants.
- Projects and activities coordinated by NSW Government Departments and Statutory Authorities.
- Research projects, including those which are co-funded by State or Federal Governments and/or other organisations.
- Purchase of promotional/awareness raising merchandise that will be sold for profit.
- Activities which require participants to pay more than a nominal amount to attend.
- Fees associated with an auspice agreement.
- Existing debt or loan repayments.
- Events that encourage gambling (e.g. raffles, bingo) or the consumption of alcohol.
- Non-essential costs which are not related to the proposed core activity
Example projects
The purpose of the Investing in Women Funding Program is to fund innovative projects that focus on the three pillars that align with the NSW Women’s Strategy (2023 – 2026).
1. Economic opportunity and advancement
Projects should contribute to improving women’s economic opportunities and advancement and support diverse and flexible employment opportunities for women and girls in NSW. For example, projects that:
- Increase women’s opportunities in the workplace
- Focus on transitions between careers and life stages
- Provide pathways into work, careers, and leadership
- Support financial security, capability, and wellbeing throughout life stages, including retirement
2 Health and wellbeing
Projects should contribute to promoting and supporting a holistic approach to women’s health and wellbeing. For example, projects that:
- Promote safe relationships, safe communities
- Promote understanding and awareness of women’s and girls’ health needs
- Provide services and support for women’s and girls’ physical and mental health
- Secure housing, preventing homelessness
3. Participation and empowerment
Projects should contribute to supporting women’s engagement through social networks and access to information. For example, projects that:
- Challenge gendered norms, roles, and expectations
- Create leaders in community and work
- Uplift focus communities
- Rebuild connections and engage with community
What co-contributions are required
An applicant contribution (cash or in-kind) of a minimum 10 percent of the total project cost (not 10 percent of the amount of funding sought) is required.
TOTAL PROJECT COST = Total Women NSW funding (over the entire length of the project) + your (10% minimum) contribution (financial or in-kind)
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
At the EOI stage:
Social enterprises must provide Social Traders certification or People and Planet First global verification.
Women-owned NSW small businesses must provide a current ASIC company extract that demonstrates:
- The CEO (or equivalent) is a woman, and the majority of Officeholders are women and have held these roles for at least six months prior to applying or since the business commenced operations if it has been operating for less than six months
- The majority of shares are beneficially owned by women
All other documentation (copy of public liability insurance cover, an accountant declaration confirming the aggregated turnover and FTE employees, project logic, evidence of need and prior experience) is only required at the full grant application stage if the organisation is shortlisted.
Address the eligibility criteria
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.
Address the assessment criteria
To streamline the application process, Women NSW uses a two-stage process for Investing in Women Grants.
The first stage involves completing a short Expression of Interest (EOI) form through SmartyGrants.
The questions in the EOI form are short and do not require supporting documentation but are designed to indicate an organisation's ability to meet the assessment criteria below. The same criteria are used for the full grant application where organisations are expected to provide evidence and more detail.
Criterion 1: Organisational capacity
- Applicants demonstrate well-established (long-standing, very close or with multiple partners) connections with the focus community, local delivery capability and local delivery partners.
- The organisation has the appropriate skills and expertise (including qualifications, if relevant) to deliver the project, including prior experience delivering similar projects and capacity to evaluate and report on impact.
- Applications include recent documentary evidence of previous successful delivery of outcomes to the focus community (at full grant application stage).
Criterion 2: Effective delivery
- The application sets out the types, level, and intensity (frequency, amount, in-person compared to virtual) of supports to be provided to participants and provides a rationale and costings.
- There is a clear project timeline which demonstrates specific timeframes and milestones for each activity.
- The application outlines how participants benefit and has mitigation measures for potential risks.
- The project is located or focused on geographical areas of greatest need and the application provides evidence of this need.
Criterion 3: Relevant and evidence-based
- The project identifies a specific issue or need for women and/or girls that will be addressed through the project and the application provides evidence of this need.
- The project aligns with one of the three pillars of the NSW Women’s Strategy, with preference given to Pillars 2 and 3.
- The project aligns with the aims of the Investing in Women program and this round.
- The project is relevant and feasible, and the application includes evidence of the efficacy of the project approach.
Criterion 4: Value for money
- There is a clear budget outlining expenditure which demonstrates value for money in terms of:
- funding sought from WNSW
- applicant contributions
- overall costs
- the value of the outcomes and benefits that will be delivered.
- Benefits to participants are clear and the cost per participant justifies the funding sought.
- The budget includes only eligible funding items.
- The budget is feasible (the amount of money requested is likely to be sufficient for the project to deliver its stated aims).
- The budget demonstrates how resources will be optimised.
Criterion 5: Outcomes
- The application outlines the practical ways that women and/or girls will benefit from the project and how these outcomes will be measured and evaluated.
- The outcomes are valuable (they advance gender equality in NSW to ensure women and girls have full access to opportunity and choice, have their diversity recognised, are valued for their contribution and can participate in all aspects of life freely and safely) and appropriate for the focus community.
- The project aims to create sustainable change and ongoing benefits for women and girls.
In addition to the criteria above, to be considered for multi-year funding, organisations must:
- be bold in seeking to address the issues the project has identified
- propose an ambitious project that will have a significant impact for focus communities
- demonstrate a proven track record in delivery and outcomes
- demonstrate the ability to provide high quality evidence of results and outcomes and
- demonstrate how resources will be optimised.
Start the application
Stage One - Expression of Interest Application
Eligible organisations can submit one (and only one) EOI through SmartyGrants from 10am on 17 February to 3pm on 13 March 2026. You will receive an automated email via SmartyGrants when Women NSW receives your EOI.
If an organisation submits multiple EOIs, only the first submitted EOI will be assessed and all others will be deemed ineligible.
A submitted EOI can be reopened upon request until applications close. To do so, email wnswgrants@tco.nsw.gov.au.
We recommend applicants submit EOIs in SmartyGrants at least two hours prior to the deadline to ensure any attached documents upload properly. Late applications will not be accepted.
EOI applications will be assessed by Women NSW for eligibility and then scored against the assessment criteria. Shortlisted organisations will be invited to submit a full grant application for a 2026 Women’s Week Grant.
Applicants will not be able to submit a full grant application without first submitting an EOI.
Applicants must not provide false or misleading information, and any false or misleading information will render the application ineligible.
Stage Two – Full Grant Application (shortlisted applicants only)
Shortlisted organisations must complete a full grant application form through SmartyGrants between 10am on 13 April to 3pm on 24 April 2026.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Deputy Secretary, Social Policy and Intergovernmental Relations, The Cabinet Office
This is an open and competitive grants program. Applicants will be assessed and scored against the assessment criteria. Applications with the highest scores are more likely to be funded.
All applications are assessed through the staged process as outlined below:
Stage One – Expression of Interest Application
EOIs are initially reviewed by Women NSW staff to ensure compliance with mandatory eligibility criteria and alignment with the focus communities.
Any EOI deemed ineligible will not proceed to the next stage of the assessment.
Eligible EOIs will then be shortlisted according to scores against the assessment criteria.
Due to the competitive nature of the Investing in Women Grants, not all EOIs that meet the assessment criteria will be shortlisted.
Recommendations of the top ranking EOIs will be approved by the Director of Women NSW.
All EOI applicants will be advised of their application outcome in writing through the SmartyGrants portal. The top ranking EOIs will be invited to submit a full grant application.
Stage Two – Full Grant Application Assessment
All submitted full grant applications will be assessed individually by members of the Assessment Panel against assessment criteria and given a score. Applications will then be ranked according to the total scores.
The panel will consist of qualified and experienced representatives and will include Women NSW staff and at least one independent panel member.
Stage Three – Assessment Panel recommendations
The Assessment panel will meet and discuss all full grant applications.
The assessment panel will then make their recommendations to the final decision maker, the Deputy Secretary, Social Policy and Intergovernmental Relations for approval.
Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of the assessment process.
Anticipated assessment outcome date is Early April 2026
Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is June 2026
Support and contact
Eligible organisations can submit one (and only one) Expression of Interest (EOI) through SmartyGrants from 10am on 17 February to 3pm on 13 March 2026.
If an organisation submits multiple EOIs, only the first submitted EOI will be assessed and all others will be deemed ineligible.
Submission of an EOI does not guarantee funding.
We recommend applicants submit forms in SmartyGrants at least two hours prior to the deadline in order to ensure any required documents upload properly. Late applications will not be accepted.
Applications are completed and submitted online via SmartyGrants. You will receive an automated email from SmartyGrants when Women NSW receives your application.
A submitted application can be reopened upon request until applications close. To do so, email wnswgrants@tco.nsw.gov.au.
Resources
The following resources are provided to applicants preparing an application for the 2026/27 Investing in Women round:
- 2026/27 Investing in Women Guidelines - Word version
- 2026/27 Investing in Women Guidelines - pdf version
- 2026/27 Frequently Asked Questions - Word version
- 2026/27 Frequently Asked Questions - pdf version
- 2026/27 Investing in Women - EOI form preview
- 2026/27 Investing in Women - Accountant Declaration (only required for shortlisted applicants)
- Investing in Women - Program Logic
- Investing in Women - Project logic template
If you have any questions about these grants, please contact wnswgrants@tco.nsw.gov.au
For technical issues related to the SmartyGrants platform please contact the support team Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm (AEDT) at:
- Email: service@smartygrants.com.au
- Phone: (03) 9320 6888
