About the Female Founders program
The Female Founders program is designed to assist female founders at different stages of the entrepreneurial lifecycle.
The program focuses on increasing the participation rates and business skills of female founders in Queensland and provides support to those in the growth phase that need assistance to take their business to the next level. The program is aimed at female founders who are:
- starting out but need to work on business skills and capability
- looking for mentors
- wanting to attend networking events
- getting ready to establish an advisory board
- seeking connection with a community of female founders.
Gender equity is a priority to the Queensland Government which is supporting female founders to start and grow their business.
“The 2017 StartupAUS Crossroads report found that only 4% of startups have an all-female founding team and as few as 15% have at least one female founder.”
Advance Queensland has used feedback from key female leaders within Queensland’s startup community to help shape and design the Female Founders program to maximise the number of inspirational women involved in Queensland’s innovation ecosystem.
How can the Female Founders Program support you?
Advance Queensland provides various programs and funding to help support female founders at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey.
Female Founders Impact Program
Delivers capability development activities focused on confidence, education and skills development. Delivered by Impact Innovation Group, program options include:
- personalised pathways
- mentor match
- learning links
- events and webinars.
Applications are now open. Visit Impact Innovation Group for more information.
Female Founders Advisory Board Program
Delivering skills and exposure to effectively engage with advisors and establish best practice governance and advisory foundations to support business growth. Delivered by the Advisory Board Centre, programs include:
- Essentials Program: group sessions designed for female business owners with growth aspirations needing assistance to gain clarity about support requirements including confidence, skills and exposure
- Starter Program: designed to establish best practice governance, business diagnostics and foundations to support their growth plans
- Growth Program: Female Founders with a carefully selected, highly qualified Certified Chair to provide strategic guidance on the evaluation, implementation and facilitation of an advisory structure based on the ABF101 Advisory Board Best Practice Framework™ to meet business needs.
Applications are now open. Visit Advisory Board Centre for more information.
Spark Female Founders Program
The Spark Female Founders program is a 12-month program providing female-led startups access to business support, first-rate mentors, sales and marketing strategies and a renowned global influencer marketing analytics and education platform. Advance Queensland is supporting a cohort of 25 female founded startups to participate in the program, which is tailored to focus on revenue growth, marketing and confidence.
Advance Queensland is subsidising $4200 towards individual participant’s program costs, with each required to co-fund the remaining $500.
Applications are now closed.
Visit the Spark Female Founders Program page to learn more about the program and the successful recipients.
Additional Support
SheEO Network
Funded 10 places within the global SheEO Network in 2019.
Related programs
See the Women's Research Assistance Program (WRAP)
