About the grant
Indigenous Business Australia wants to partner with like-minded female led First Nations social enterprises that are delivering, or are ready to deliver, programs and initiatives that support the economic security and participation of all First Nations women.
To be eligible to partner with IBA and access the grant, you must:
- Be a (majority) female-led Australian social enterprise that and are/or work with First Nations female entrepreneurs
- Provide capability, capacity building support to First Nations women, girls and sistergirls in the areas of: business, employment, building financial skills and confidence, access to housing and well-being and self-care programs that support women manage their family, work, business and community obligations.
- Be culturally capable and experienced in working with First Nations people.
- Have the necessary business acumen, and experience in developing and delivering resources that support the capability and skills development of First Nations people and in particular women and girls or sistergirls
- Demonstrate value for money, and sound financial management.
What outcomes will the successful partnerships drive?
Partnering enterprises must demonstrate that they can deliver impactful initiatives to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, girls, sistergirls, and their communities.
A successful partnership under this program will drive one or several of the following outcomes:
- Develop the capabilities to First Nations women to start or grow their business.
- Build and maintain networks.
- Support the economic security of First Nations women by building skills and confidence to enter the workforce, and for those already employed to progress.
- Support First Nations women to be economically empowered through Coaching or Mentor programs, these may include for business, employment and leadership.
- Support First Nations women by providing access to resources that build financial management skills and confidence. Including access to financial well-being counselling, planning for the future and money management.
- Support to manage and understand rent/housing obligations and managing household budgets.
- Well-being and self-care programs that support women manage their family, work, business, and community obligations.
- Upskilling and training of enterprise First Nations staff that create opportunity to expand social impact outcomes in communities.
- Establishing innovative platforms/systems that enhance the way the enterprise does business and impacts communities.
Grant Amount and Grant Period
Applicants will submit their application outlining their program/initiatives for the women, girls or sistergirls and communities that will be supported through the initiative. Applicants can apply for partnerships from $50,000 and up to $200,000 excl GST. Partnership agreements will be entered into on a non-ongoing basis. All partnerships must be completed by 30 November 2023 with a requirement for partners to report on deliverables and provide acquittal by that time. Funding must only be used for the purpose for which it will be approved and provided.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Social Enterprise Grant, the applicant must be a (majority) female owned or led Australian Social Enterprise, and are, or work with, First Nations female entrepreneurs that provide capability, capacity building support and that achieve measurable economic safety outcomes for First Nations women, girls or sistergirls and their communities.
| Eligibilty |
| First Nations Enterprises must be female led and have at least 50% First Nations shareholding and active management of the business. |
| Non-First Nations Australian Social Enterprises must have an advisory board of at least 50% First Nations women representation or 50% First Nations women in leadership/executive roles and the initiatives must be designed and delivered by First Nations women. |
|
Must be an Australian Social Enterprise with experience in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, girls or sistergirls and communities and able to demonstrate cultural safety and capability. |
| Beneficiaries of the program must be First Nations women, girls or sistergirls and their communities. Transgender First Nations women and sistergirls are welcome and encouraged to apply or be the beneficiaries of this grant under a partnership. |
Key application content must include:
• a description of the Enterprise’s prior experience in delivering the project, or working in the sector
• details of relevant Enterprise staff and experience/capacity with the management and delivery of initiatives of a similar size and nature to the proposal
• details about how the Enterprise will use its resources to deliver this project
• details of the Enterprise’s capability to meet reporting and performance requirements
• if a collaboration between a Social Enterprise and ORIC incorporated or Not for Profit organisation, details of the benefit the collaboration will create.
Eligible Partnership Activities
To be eligible the partnership activity must:
• be program based, can be delivered in a peer/group environment or one-on-one.
• if a program, coaching or training focus, be developed and delivered by First Nations women. Exceptions will be made where technical or accredited skills or practices are required.
• be focused on First Nations Women’s Economic Security, in one or more of the following; areas and directly result in building women’s, girl’s and sistergirl’s financial confidence and empowerment:
o support for start-up and existing First Nations women in businesses
o building financial skills and confidence
o access to job-readiness programs
o workplace coaching and mentoring
o managing housing and affordable living initiatives
o creating and maintaining networks relating to the above-mentioned themes
o wellbeing and selfcare programs that support women manage their family, work, business, and community obligations
o accredited/technical training of Social Enterprises staff that results in creating change and impact for First Nation women and communities
o innovation through Digital/Technology that results in creating change and impact for First Nation women and communities.
Ineligible Partnership Activities
The funds cannot be used for the following costs:
• seed funding to start-up or invest in a business
• purchase of land
• on-costs not directly attributed to the delivery of the partnership activities
• major capital expenditure
• the covering of retrospective costs
• costs incurred in the preparation of a partnership application or related documentation
• subsidy of general ongoing administration of an organisation/Enterprise such as electricity, phone and rent (working capital)
• for fixed cost expenses such as leases, rent etc.
• major construction/capital works
• overseas travel, and activities for which other Commonwealth, state, territory, or local government bodies have primary responsibility.
