The Malinauskas Labor Government is supporting more women to grow their start-ups, with round two of the Fearless Innovator Grant Program now open.
Designed to address the long-standing gap in access to early-stage capital for women, the program supports female-led innovative businesses to grow and scale into national and international markets with new products and services.
Delivered by Women in Innovation (WINN) in partnership with the Fearless Females Network (FFN), the program offers two funding streams to support women entrepreneurs at different stages of business growth:
- Scale-Up Grant: One $60,000 grant for a business with established product or service sales, ready to scale and expand into national and international markets.
- Accelerate Grants: Two $20,000 grants to help early-stage businesses fast-track growth and build their market presence.
An additional $20,000 grant, supported by Westpac and awarded on merit by the judging panel, brings the total grant funding available to $120,000 in 2025.
The State Government will provide dollar-for-dollar matched funding of up to $50,000 to support emerging female founders under the program. The match funding complements contributions from donors and helps maximise the total support available.
Launched in 2024, the program was developed in response to ongoing barriers faced by women in accessing early-stage capital. Last year, six recipients were awarded funding under round one the program.
The 2024 State of Australian Startup Funding report found that female founders received only two per cent of total venture capital funding in Australia.
The Fearless Innovator Grants Program is funded through the government's Research and Innovation Fund, which seeks to support a strong, vibrant and high-quality research and innovation ecosystem for driving future economic growth, productivity and wellbeing in South Australia.
The program also builds on the success of the Malinauskas Government's $4 million Women in Business program, which has already supported more than 3,600 women to grow their businesses and develop their skills. It is also a key initiative of the $14 million SA Small Business Strategy.
Applications close Sunday, 8 June 2025 at 11:59pm ACST. Successful recipients will be announced at an awards night in September 2025.
For more information, visit business.sa.gov.au
As put by Susan Close
Removing barriers to women in the startup community will benefit our state's long term prosperity including by helping to access larger national and international markets.
These grants are an important investment in entrepreneurial South Australian women wanting to expand their enterprises and help grow our state's economy.
We are pleased to partner with Women in Innovation and the Fearless Females Network to boost opportunities for women and to foster a more inclusive and diverse business and startup community.
As put by Andrea Michaels
The Fearless Innovators program is a fantastic opportunity for South Australian women in business to access the early-stage capital they need to grow and scale their ventures.
Along with the Women in Business program, the Malinauskas Government is committed to supporting female business owners to overcome financial barriers and realise long-term growth opportunities.
Last year's recipients have already expanded their businesses, grown their teams and entered new markets, and I look forward to seeing what this year's recipients will achieve.
As put by 2024 Accelerate Grant recipient and Founder and Director of Healthy Heads, Deborah Faehrmann
Winning the 2024 Fearless Innovator Grant program has transformed my business and my confidence—new products, global collaborations, investor interest, and real brand recognition has followed.
