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 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 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 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 order to apply for the Rural Women's Award, applicants must:

• Identify as female.
• Be over the age of 18.
• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.*
• Have an existing project, business or program which is already live/up and running
• Have a project, business or program that is creating impact, making a difference and/or contributing to enhancing the prosperity of rural and emerging industries**, and rural, regional, and remote businesses and communities.
• Have an existing project, business or program that fits into at least one of the following categories: Community, Collaboration or Commercial.
• Have a project, business or program that aligns to a minimum of two of the Award's values:
  • Empathetic
  • Authentic
  • Cooperative
  • Confident
  • Courageous
  • Grit
  • Resourceful
  • Pragmatic
  • Clarity of Purpose
  • Inclusive
  • Innovative.

• Email: annabel.day@agrifutures.com.au