• Applicants must have an existing project, business or program which is live and up and running, or will be live within three months of the application being submitted.
• The existing project, business or program falls into one or more of these categories: Community, Collaboration, Commercial.
• The existing project, business or program must align to the values of the Award

• • Empathetic
  • Authentic
  • Cooperative
  • Confident
  • Courageous
  • Grit
  • Resourceful
  • Pragmatic
  • Clarity of Purpose
  • Inclusive
  • Innovative.

• Applicants need to be over 18 years old and identify as female
• Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents
• Location is no barrier. If you want to create impact, innovate and make a difference and/or contribute to enhancing the prosperity of rural and regional Australia, then we want to hear from you
• No formal qualifications are required
• Detailed Award guidelines can be found here
• If you know someone who should apply for the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, please email their name, contact details, and project area to rwa@agrifutures.com.au

When we refer to “rural industries” we mean agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

If you feel your project, business or program is not mature enough for the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, check out the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant .

Applications for the 2024 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award will open in September 2023.

The $15,000 Westpac grant is awarded to each State/Territory Winner, providing the financial resources to support a project, business or program that will benefit rural industries, businesses and/or communities.

The grant can be used for formal training in leadership and business management; overseas study tours; establishing business plans or pilot programs; developing educational or promotional campaigns; networking at forums and conferences to grow your knowledge of industries and markets; developing training programs; testing information technology initiatives; developing or testing a new business concept or innovation; and publishing books.

The grant cannot be used for buying capital equipment or further tertiary education such as a Diploma, Masters or Doctorate degree.

The National Winner will be awarded an additional $20,000 Westpac grant and National Runner Up, an additional $15,000. These additional funds can be used for the above-mentioned activities, plus may also be used to assist in meeting national commitments such as speaking engagements as the National Winner or Runner Up.

Winners will also have the opportunity to complete a professional development training course, and will attend a three-day workshop with all other state/territory winners, to focus on further professional development skills and refinement of their winning project, business or program.

In the application form, you will be asked to answer the following questions:

1. Explain your existing project, business or program

2. Select the categories your existing project, business or program fits into (you can select more than one).

• Community: An existing project, business or program which is based in and delivers value to a community.
• Collaboration: An existing project, business or program which involves multiple people working together to achieve a shared vision
• Commercial: An existing project, business or program which is able to be commercialised

3. Explain how your existing project, business or program aligns to the categories you selected.

4. Explain who benefits from your existing project, business or program and why? (e.g. individuals, small groups, regions and/or communities etc.

5. Explain the impact your existing project, business or program is having or aims to have over the next 12 months.

6. What are your leadership skills and experience to date? (Bullet point form is fine)

7. What leadership and development opportunities are you interested in pursuing to equip yourself with the skills you need to make a difference?

8. What would you spend the $15,000 Westpac grant on if successful? (Bullet point form is fine)

Wednesday, 16 November 2022
2023 applications close
(Note: NT Applications close Friday, 27 January 2023)

December 2022 – March 2023
2023 phone, and face-to-face interviews take place with the state/territory Selection Panel

March 2023 – May 2023
2023 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award State/Territory Winners announced

July 2023
2023 State/Territory Winners participate in a three-day workshop and National Selection Panel interviews

Tuesday, 12 September 2023
2023 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Gala Dinner and National Announcement

Wednesday, 13 September 2023
2024 applications open