Female Founders Co-Investment Fund QLD

About this grant

This program provides funding to female founded businesses to help them scale and build business capacity.

Eligibility requirements

All of the following criteria must be met:

• Qld female founded businesses.
• Support queensland-based female founders to close early-stage investment rounds leveraging government backing
• Support qld female founders to grow their innovative businesses across a wide range of industries
• Increase the number of female founders participating in the qld innovation ecosystem
• Help to grow an investment pipeline for female founded businesses.
• The female founder should have:
• An investment plan to approach new eligible investment entities within the next six months or have already secured an offer of investment from an eligible investment entity
• A product/service beyond proof of concept
• An established business plan and growth plan covering the next 12 months
• A plan to use the funding to scale their business.
• Be a business headquartered in queensland (operating and having its head office located in queensland)
• Have an active australian business number (abn) and be registered for gst
• Be majority female owned: have at least 51% of shares held by a woman/women (at least six months before application)
• Be female led: have at least one primary executive decision-making position held by a woman (at least 6 months before application), e.g. chief executive officer, chief operating officer, chief technology officer
• Have no more than 50 full-time-equivalent employees
• Not be a subsidiary of a group of companies that has more than 50 full-time-equivalent employees in total
• Not have received investment through previous capital raises totalling more than $500,000.
• Rebates for sheep and farmed goat producers to purchase electronic identification (eid) devices
• Discounts for businesses for energy efficient products
• Funding for nt primary producers impacted by an eligible disaster

What the funding covers

• Funding of between $50K and $200K.

How to apply

1. 1Confirm readiness: Ensure you meet criteria (e.g., ABN, turnover limits, GST registration), align project objectives with grant goals, and estimate time for evidence gathering and writing.
2. 2Gather evidence: Collect documents like financials, business plans, market research, project budgets, resumes, risk analysis, and support letters to prove capability and impact.
3. 3Register/log in: Obtain an Australian Business Number (ABN) if needed, sign into the relevant portal (e.g., Business Grants Hub portal), and note any prerequisites like advisory service reports.
4. 4Prepare and write application: Address all selection criteria clearly (project details, government alignment, costs, outcomes, benefits); keep concise, factual, and compelling; validate for completeness.
5. 5Review, approve, and submit: Proofread, get stakeholder sign-off, submit online via the portal before deadline (no late entries); expect eligibility check, merit assessment, and outcome notification.
6. 6Visit https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/female-founders-coinvestment-fund-qld for application details

Application tips