The AgriFuture Rural Women’s Award is Australia’s leading award acknowledging and supporting the essential role women play in rural industries, businesses and communities. The Award provides a platform to inspire and support Australian women to use and develop their skills to benefit their industries and communities.

A $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 (without the explicit approval from AgriFutures Australia) or further tertiary education such as a Diploma, Masters or Doctorate degree.

All state/territory winners will participate in a separate National Selection Panel interview. 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.

Each state and territory has its own Award Coordinator.

Who can enter?

• 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

Entry to the RWA Award is open to individuals who are:

• Applicants must identify as female
• Applicants must be over the age of 18
• Applicants need to be Australian citizens or permanent residents.
• Location is no barrier. If you are creating impact, innovating and making a difference and/or contributing to enhancing the prosperity of rural industries* and regional Australia, then we want to hear from you.
• Applicants must not be a Related Party of AgriFutures Australia (i.e., not an employee of AgriFutures Australia, or a member of the key management personnel of major sponsors and government agency partners, nor a close family member of the above.
• Applicants must not be a previous national or state/territory winner of either:
• the former ABC Radio Rural Woman of the Year
• RIRDC Rural Women’s Award, or
• AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.**
• No formal qualifications are required.

• Phone: 02 6923 6900
• Email: javascript:;