Supporting Women in Business Grants

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These grants provide funding to help connect women in small business with the right resources and support.

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Key information

  • Status: Closed
  • Grant amount: From $150,000 to $250,000
  • Application opened: 13 October 2025
  • Application closed: 10 November 2025, 3:00 pm

Program objective

The primary objective of Supporting Women in Business (SWIB) Grants is to address barriers for women to achieve their purpose of starting or growing a micro or small business. The grants seek to increase women’s skills and confidence to support them in achieving their business goals. This grant program was previously named Women in Business Networks Grants.

SWIB grants fund projects that deliver training, mentoring, networking skills and opportunities, assistance to access finance and business development support. Projects are tailored toa nominated focus community (or multiple), responding to their specific needs, life stages and circumstances.

The 2025-26 round is a closed non-competitive round with an allocation of $500,000. It is open by invitation only to selected organisations who seek to deliver projects that assist women to start or grow a small business via a closed non-competitive round. Grants for individual projects will range from $150,000 to $250,000, depending on the project model, participant numbers, and the necessary level and intensity of support required to meet the needs of focus communities. 

The 2024-25 round had an allocation of $1.08 million and was open to organisations to provide programs for women who have a small business or want to start one. Ten organisations are delivering projects from July 2025 to June 2027, with funding for each ranging from $150,000 to $250,000. 

The 2023-24 round had an allocation of $500,000 to support women to start or grow a social enterprise with a focus on women with disability and culturally diverse women. The grant invited one industry association to deliver a statewide formal networking program, including support and capacity building activities, training and mentoring, to assist women to establish and grow social enterprises in NSW. 

The 2022-2023 round had an allocation of $500,000. Three industry associations, peak bodies, and Chambers of Commerce were invited to implement bespoke networking programs for women seeking to start and run a successful small business.

For further details on the 2025-26 round: 

2025-26 Supporting Women in Business  

This program is administered by Premier's Department, The Cabinet Office, and Women NSW.

This program is funded by Women NSW.

Eligibility

Applications can only be accepted by legally constituted Australian-based entities from one of the following categories:  

  1. Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled organisations
  2. Incorporated not-for-profit organisations, including community organisations
  3. Social enterprises (defined as a business that trades primarily for a defined social purpose consistent with a public and/or community benefit)

Who is the grant targeted towards

Projects must target and support one of the following focus communities from the NSW Women’s Strategy 2023-2026:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
  • women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities
  • women living in regional, rural, remote and cross-border areas

Types of projects funded under this grant

SWIB funds a variety of models. Funding for projects will vary within the range of $150,000 - $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. 

A minimum of four service components are required including: 

  • Accelerator programs supporting female founders at any stage of their business through mentoring and access to finance.
  • Tailored business coaching and mentoring for participants to start, run and grow their small business.
  • Accredited small business training and workshops to increase required business skills.
  • One-to-one tailored business advisory services including support with business planning including finance, operations, marketing and promotions, customer / client management, governance or administration.
  • Support in developing relevant small business and industry networks for the purposes of business growth and increased access to finance. 
  • Support in gaining access to finance, investment or start-up capital.

 

Most recent recipients

All recipients (9)

What your application needs to include

The 2025-26 grant round will open to selected organisation seeking to deliver SWIB projects via a closed non-competitive round by invitation only. 

Start the application

Applications for this grant are now closed and were by invitation only. 

After the application is submitted

Successful applications will be decided by: Deputy Secretary, Social Policy and Intergovernmental Relations, The Cabinet Office.

The 2025-26 round is a closed, non-competitive round open by invitation only to selected organisations that submitted highly-rated applications in the previous round which could not be funded due to limited funding available. These organisations have the expertise to deliver SWIB projects that assist women from focus communities to gain skills and confidence to achieve their business goals.

Organisations invited to apply for a SWIB grant will go through a comprehensive assessment criteria, of equal weighting, to be determined for funding.

The application, eligibility, assessment, outcomes, funding/letter of agreement, and acquittal for the grants is managed using the SmartyGrants management system.

Stage 1 – eligibility

All submitted applications are initially reviewed by Women NSW staff to ensure compliance with mandatory eligibility criteria and required documentation.

Stage 2 – assessment

An Assessment Panel will be formed and assess grant applications. The Panel will assess grant applications against the assessment criteria and will consist of three members:

  • one convenor, Women NSW, Director.
  • one Women NSW staff member: Associate Director Partnerships and Programs.
  • one representative from NSW Treasury.

The assessment panel will then make their recommendations to the final decision maker and document the rationale for those decisions.

Stage 3 – decision

The assessment panel makes their recommendations to the final decision maker, the Deputy Secretary, Social Policy and Intergovernmental Relations, The Cabinet Office for approval.

Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of the assessment process.

Anticipated assessment outcome date is January 2026.

Support and contact

If you have any questions about this grant please contact WNSWGrants@tco.nsw.gov.au

For queries about the online grant management system, Smarty Grants, please contact the support team at:

Available to help Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (Australian Eastern Standard time)

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