This program is comprised of online modules delivered over 8 weeks that are taught by experts who have “been there, done that” experience.  There is also weekly mentoring sessions and an online community where you are able to connect and chat with our mentors, industry experts and female founders, who are on their startup journey.

What the Tech Ready Women Female Founder Startup Program covers

Over the 8 weeks the program cover topics such as:

• Customer & Market Discovery
• Business & Financial Modelling
• Developing your MVP
• Fundamentals of a Tech Build
• Startup Legals
• Pitch Preparation

Eligibility

This program is open to female permanent residents and Australian citizens, who have an idea for a tech startup.  And you also do not have to have prior experience in order to apply.

Cost of the Program

There are 50 part scholarships available reducing the program cost to $723 ex GST, as compared to the full program cost of $2,723 ex GST.

Learn More

Click here to learn more apply for the Tech Ready Women Female Founder Startup Program

Note applications for 2026 Round 1 close 2 April 2026

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

Seedlab Australia Bootcamp Program is a support program for Australian and NZ producers of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), fully supported by Woolworths.

The aim of the 6 week Bootcamp is to get your products and your business retail ready by:

• Benchmarking your retail readiness
• Improving how you communicate your proposition
• Developing business skills to grow your business
• Determine whether you and your product are ready for the 5 month Seedlab Australia Cultivate Program (which can include exclusive opportunities to pitch to Woolworths, for example at one of the private Woolworths Seedlab Australia Expos).

Note if you are selected to attend the Bootcamp program, it is free as fully subsidised by Woolworths.

Eligibility 

Applications are currently open for Australian and New Zealand based suppliers of value-added food products, non-alcoholic beverages, and sustainably produced personal and home care products.   Only other requirement is that you are over 18.  And you don’t need to be a current supplier to Woolworths.

Learn More

Click here to learn more and apply for the Seedlab Australia Bootcamp Program

Note applications for Round 13 close 16 January 2026

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. Wayne may also be able to assist you in preparing any grant application. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

The program runs from August to November 2025 and includes attendance at International Mining, Equipment & Minerals Exhibition (IME) and other showcase events

What the NSW Going Global Export Program – Mining Equipment, Technology & Services to India covers

You get access to:

• 6-8 week market preparation program
• a market entry mission to India (that does not cover travel costs)
• Ongoing advice and follow up.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the overall NSW Going Global Program your business:

• Have headquarters in NSW with a valid ABN
• Has a suitable product for export to the identified market
• Has potential to compete commercially in that market
• Capability to grow through export activity and capacity to adapt the identified product or service for the identified new market.
• Have between 5 and 199 full-time equivalent employees
• Have a product or service that is produced primarily in NSW

How to Apply

Click here to learn more and apply for the NSW Going Global Export Program – Mining Equipment, Technology & Services to India

Note applications close 10 August 2025.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

CSIRO Innovate to Grow – Agriculture, Food and Technology is a free 8-week, program for small to medium-sized QLD enterprises working with innovative ideas in agriculture, food and related industries.

Who can apply 

This program is open to any SMEs (less than 200 staff) with an ABN and ACN, based and operating in Qld who are working on agrifood innovation in any of these sub-sectors:

• Agriculture technology (agritech)
• Food and beverage manufacturing
• Crop innovation
• Livestock and aquaculture
• Alternative proteins
• Packaging, handling and storage
• Transport, logistics and provenance

Learn More

Click here to learn more about the CSIRO Innovate to Grow – Agrifood

Applications close 17 August 2025

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

The QLD Female Founders Investment Readiness – Capability program supports innovative women-led startups to gain the skills and resources to be investment ready.

The program aims to:

• Enhance investment readiness and increase the chances of a successful funding round.
• Foster a supportive community of women entrepreneurs.

Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, organisations must:

• be a business operating and having its head office located in Queensland with QLD ABN
• be majority female owned: have at least 51% of shares held by a woman/women
• 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
• stage of product/service development

So what do you get

Participants will receive:

• Access to the TORUS Circle Community.
• Cap raise roadmap.
• Raising toolkits.
• Investor list.
• Expert webinars.
• Raise prep graduation process.
• Weekly group raise prep coaching call.
• Weekly group investor CRM coaching call.
• Guided cap raise and marketing roadmap.
• Pitch deck reviews.
• Investor and advisor matching.
• Partner introductions.

Learn More

Click here to learn more and lodge your expression of interest for the The QLD Female Founders Investment Readiness – Capability program

Note applications close 29 July 2025

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

If you are a Proptech business and thinking of expanding to the USA, the NSW Going Global Export Program Proptech to USA may be for you. 

The program runs from August to October 2025 and includes attendance at CREtech New York 2025.

What the NSW Going Global Export Program – Proptech to USA covers

You get access to:

• 6-8 week market preparation program
• a market entry mission to the US (that does not cover travel costs)
• Ongoing advice and follow up.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the overall NSW Going Global Program your business:

• Have headquarters in NSW with a valid ABN
• Has a suitable product for export to the identified market
• Has potential to compete commercially in that market
• Capability to grow through export activity and capacity to adapt the identified product or service for the identified new market.
• Have between 3 and 199 full-time equivalent employees
• Have a product or service that is produced primarily in NSW

How to Apply

Click here to learn more and apply for the NSW Going Global Export Program – Proptech to USA

Note applications close 27 July  2025.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

If you are a unique and innovative agtech or agrifood technology product business and thinking of expanding to the USA, the NSW Going Global Export Program Agritech to USA may be for you. 

The program runs from August to October 2025 and includes attendance at SVG THRIVE Global Impact Summit, California

What the NSW Going Global Export Program – Agritech to USA covers

You get access to:

• 6-8 week market preparation program
• a market entry mission to the US (that does not cover travel costs)
• Ongoing advice and follow up.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the overall NSW Going Global Program your business:

• Have headquarters in NSW with a valid ABN
• Has a suitable product for export to the identified market  
• Has potential to compete commercially in that market 
• Capability to grow through export activity and capacity to adapt the identified product or service for the identified new market. 
• Have between 3 and 199 full-time equivalent employees
• Have a product or service that is produced primarily in NSW

How to Apply

Click here to learn more and apply for the NSW Going Global Export Program – Agritech to USA

Note applications close 3 August 2025.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

UNSW Founders New Wave program, an incubator for women, that empowers women to build entrepreneurial skills and confidence, and launch women-led businesses.

New Wave offers UNSW students, staff and alumni who identify as women, at the earlier stages of their entrepreneurial journey, access to skill-building workshops, startup coaches, and industry-leading mentors.

To be eligible for New Wave, you must:

• Be 18 years or older; and
• Identify as a woman; and be an
• Existing UNSW student enrolled in an Undergraduate, Masters or PhD program; or an
• Alumni of UNSW; or
• UNSW academic or professional staff

Note there are a limited number placements for South-west Sydney based researchers , entrepreneurs and innovators (who identify as women). Reach out to newwave@unsw.edu.au to find out more.

This round runs from August to November 2025.

Click here to learn more

Applications close 6 August 2025

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

CSIRO Innovate to Grow – Health Care Innovation is a free 8-week, program for small to medium-sized enterprises working with innovative health care solutions.

Who can apply

This program is open to any SMEs (less than 200 staff) with an ABN and ACN, based and operating in Australia who are working on health care innovation in any of these sub-sectors:

• Biomedical devices
• Multi-omics, biostatistics and bioinformatics
• Medical imaging and genomics
• Drug discovery, vaccines and therapeutics
• Advanced cell models
• Digital health
• Public health and wellbeing

Learn More

Click here to learn more about the CSIRO Innovate to Grow – Health Care Innovation

Applications close 13 July 2025

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

If your business was impacted by the recent flooding events on the NSW Mid North Coast and in the Hunter, the recovery grant for small business may help your business.

This week we are taking a break from Sydney and camping on the beach at Diamond Head.  Today it was a great winters day with blue skies and sunshine

Around lunchtime I took a break and went for a walk along the beach to enjoy the day.  Aimed to cover the full beach but returned after walking 4.5 kms and the end of the beach still seemed kms away.

And walking, pretty much alone on this long stretch of beach, some thoughts comparing the beach to business started to come to mind. 

One of these was around the sand on the beach.  We all know that the soft sand is often further up the beach and the firmer and easier sand to walk on is nearer the water.  But every now and then, the harder sand turned soft and I found myself changing direction — adjusting my path slightly to stay on firmer sand and keep moving forward.

In business, it’s no different. Sometimes you hit patches where every decision feels heavy and hard, cash flow issues, staff turnover, tough markets. In those moments, rather than pushing straight through, it’s often smarter to pause, reassess, and shift direction slightly to find a better path. Flexibility often beats stubbornness.

Of course, as I walked closer to the water to stay on the firmer sand, I also had to pay attention to the waves. A moment’s inattention and I’d get caught off-guard by a larger set rolling in and end up wet.  And being in the middle of winter that was not a good feeling.

Business is the same — sometimes the environment can change quickly. Competitors launch new products, regulations shift, customers pivot. You have to constantly scan what’s coming and adjust your footing, otherwise you risk getting hit by something you didn’t see coming.

Walking along the beach, watching the waves, I was reminded how business is always moving. Markets shift, customer needs change, technology evolves. You can’t control the tide, but you can choose when to step forward and when to step back. I’ve learned that being attuned to these rhythms, and not fighting them, often makes the difference between growth and struggle.

At one point, I stumbled across a large intact shell. Not only will that make my wife happy, but also it reminded me that this is how opportunities often appear in business: unplanned, sometimes overlooked, but full of potential. You just have to keep walking, keep your eyes open, and be willing to pick them up when you find them.

As I finished my walk, I realized once again how nature has a quiet way of teaching us — if we’re willing to listen.

And to top off the day, as I post this, I am just about to light the camp fire to sit around as the sun goes down and it gets cooler.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052