Investing in Women Funding Program NSW

Purpose and Program Overview

The Investing in Women Funding Program NSW supports innovative, evidence-based projects that advance gender equality by improving women’s economic opportunity, health and wellbeing, and participation and empowerment across New South Wales. Women NSW administers the 2026/27 round and aligns with the NSW Women’s Strategy 2023–2026, focusing on measurable benefits for diverse women and girls, including those from identified focus communities. The program provides competitive grants to incorporated not‑for‑profits, community organisations, social enterprises and majority women‑owned or managed businesses to design and deliver projects across NSW. By funding projects for up to three years, the program aims to strengthen women’s workforce participation, reduce the gender pay gap, improve financial well-being, and increase participation and empowerment at the community and systems level.

Key Grant Details

• Grant amount or funding range:
  • 12‑month projects: $25,000 – $100,000.
  • Multi‑year projects (up to 3 years): $50,000 – $250,000 per year.
• Application dates (2026/27 round):
  • Expressions of Interest open: 17 February 2026.
  • EOI close: 13 March 2026, 3:00 pm AEST.
  • Full applications: By invitation only, due in late April 2026 (exact date advised to shortlisted applicants).
• Eligible organisations and business types: Incorporated not‑for‑profits, community organisations, social enterprises, and majority women‑owned or women‑managed businesses.
• Required co‑contribution: Minimum 10% of total project cost, which may be cash, in‑kind or a combination.
• Location/state applicability: Projects must be delivered in New South Wales and for the benefit of women and/or girls in NSW.

Priority Sectors

The Investing in Women program is not limited to specific industries and is open to a broad range of sectors, provided projects directly benefit women and girls in NSW and align with the NSW Women’s Strategy pillars. Priority is placed on projects serving designated focus communities and cohorts of women who experience greater barriers to economic participation, health access, or empowerment. Applicants from any sector (for example, community services, education and training, health, digital and technology, regional development or social enterprise) may apply where they can demonstrate strong alignment with program objectives.

Funding Scope

For the 2026/27 round, funding is structured around project duration and scale rather than formal “streams”.

• Minimum and maximum amounts:
  • Up to 12‑month projects: $25,000 (minimum) to $100,000 (maximum).
  • Multi‑year projects (up to 3 years): $50,000 to $250,000 per year, subject to annual allocations and continued performance.
• Funding categories or uses: The guidelines focus on innovative, evidence-based project delivery rather than distinct capital/feasibility streams, allowing for program, service, capability building, and partnership-based initiatives where eligible.
• Project timeline/eligible duration:
  • Single‑year projects: Up to 12 months.
  • Multi‑year projects: Up to three years, with staged funding and reporting requirements.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicant type:
  • Incorporated not‑for‑profit organisations.
  • Community organisations, local councils (where eligible under the program rules), and social enterprises.
  • Majority women‑owned or majority women‑managed businesses that meet the program’s organisational requirements.
• Location: Organisation must be based in NSW or able to demonstrate substantive service delivery capability in NSW, with projects benefiting women and/or girls in NSW.
• Alignment: Projects must align with at least one pillar of the NSW Women’s Strategy 2023–2026 (economic opportunity and advancement; health and wellbeing; participation and empowerment).
• Legal and compliance: Applicants must hold appropriate legal status, have suitable governance arrangements, and comply with relevant laws, child safety, and work health and safety obligations.
• Financial and insurance: Organisations must be financially viable, able to co‑contribute at least 10% of total project costs, and generally are expected to hold appropriate insurance (such as public liability) as specified in the guidelines.
• ABN/GST: Applicants are typically required to have an active Australian Business Number; GST status is managed according to NSW Government funding rules (full details in official program guidelines).

Eligible Activities and Expenses

The Investing in Women program funds project-based activities that directly support women’s economic opportunity, health, and participation. Examples in the guidelines and related materials include:

• Program design and delivery costs for initiatives that increase women’s employment opportunities, financial capability and leadership pathways.
• Training, coaching, mentoring and skills development activities that build work readiness, career mobility and entrepreneurship among women and girls.
• Community engagement, outreach and peer-support models that strengthen participation, social connection and confidence for target groups of women.
• Health and wellbeing programs taking a holistic approach to physical, mental and social wellbeing across women’s lifespans.
• Reasonable project management, evaluation and administration costs directly tied to delivering and measuring the funded project.

Capital works or major infrastructure are not the program’s primary focus; instead, emphasis is on programmatic and service delivery activities, with detailed eligible and ineligible cost lists set out in the official guidelines.

Assessment Process

The 2026/27 Investing in Women program is an open, competitive grant round. Funding is not guaranteed and is awarded based on merit against published assessment criteria and available budget.

Assessment takes place in two stages:

• Stage 1 – Expression of Interest (EOI): Applicants submit an EOI outlining the project concept, focus community, alignment to the Women’s Strategy pillars and indicative budget by 13 March 2026.
• Stage 2 – Full application: Shortlisted applicants are invited to submit a detailed application by late April 2026, including comprehensive project plans, partnerships, evidence base and budget.

Key evaluation criteria (summarised from the guidelines) include:

• Organisational capacity: Experience, skills, governance, local partnerships and capability to deliver and report on outcomes.​
• Project outcomes and impact: Clear description of the problem, target cohort, intended outcomes and how the project will advance women’s economic opportunity, health or participation.
• Relevance and evidence base: Demonstrated need, alignment with at least one Women’s Strategy pillar (with preference in some rounds for specific pillars or focus areas), and use of evidence-based approaches.
• Value for money: Clear, realistic budget, justified costs, appropriate co‑contribution and strong benefits relative to funding sought.

Recent Program Updates

For 2026/27, the Investing in Women program is operating as an open, competitive round following a targeted 2025–26 round for invited organisations working with women and girls in contact with the criminal justice system. The 2026/27 round confirms updated funding bands, offering $25,000–$100,000 for 12‑month projects and $50,000–$250,000 per year for multi‑year projects, up to three years.

The program continues to align with the NSW Women’s Strategy 2023–2026 and maintains a minimum 10% co‑contribution requirement based on total project cost. Communications for the 2026/27 round emphasise a strong focus on projects serving defined focus communities and on the quality of EOIs, with a significant proportion of applications previously not progressing past the EOI stage due to eligibility or misalignment issues.

Application Tips

Applicants should review the official 2026/27 Investing in Women guidelines and EOI form carefully to confirm eligibility, funding limits and specific focus communities before investing time in a submission. It is advisable to ensure the organisation meets all structural, legal and financial requirements, including incorporation status, NSW service footprint, and the capacity to provide the required 10% co‑contribution.

When preparing an EOI or full application:

• Clearly define the target cohort of women or girls and show how they fit within the focus communities and Strategy pillars.
• Demonstrate strong alignment between project activities and the three pillars: economic opportunity and advancement, health and wellbeing, and participation and empowerment.
• Present a concise theory of change or outcomes logic, outlining the problem, activities, outputs and intended outcomes.
• Provide evidence of need using relevant data, research, community consultation or prior program experience.
• Develop a realistic budget that reflects all project costs, clearly indicates the co‑contribution, and aligns with the scale of proposed outcomes.
• Highlight organisational capacity, including governance, prior project delivery, partnerships and evaluation capability.​

Applicants should prepare key supporting documents early, such as financial statements, letters of support, partnership agreements, draft project plans and risk assessments, to streamline the full application stage if shortlisted.

Where to Get Help

Prospective applicants can access detailed program guidelines, EOI and application forms, eligibility criteria and FAQs on the official NSW Government Investing in Women Funding Program webpage. Additional information and interpretation may also be available through Women NSW, sector peak bodies, or local government channels that promote the program.

Consider consulting a grant specialist like Pattens Group for a personalised eligibility assessment and expert assistance in preparing a strong, compliant and competitive application. Contact Pattens Group to discuss project ideas, assess program fit and refine application material to meet NSW Government requirements. For official guidelines, application details, templates and further information, visit the NSW Government Investing in Women Funding Program page and other associated Australian Government and NSW Government websites.