Rural Women’s Award | AgriFutures Australia

We need rural leaders with the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about the future of their enterprises and industries. We also know the unique challenges faced by rural women and how important grants for women are. That’s why we created the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award – Australia’s leading award empowering and celebrating the inclusive and courageous leadership of women involved in Australia’s rural and emerging industries, businesses and communities, now and into the future.

About the Award

Over the past 21 years, the Award has gained a significant profile, and is recognised as a program of influence among parliamentarians, industry, media and Award alumni. Each state and territory Winner receives a $15,000 Westpac grant for their project, business or program, access to professional development opportunities and alumni networks.

AgriFutures Australia is committed to the future growth and advancement of the Award as a means of identifying, celebrating and empowering women. The Rural Women’s Award is one of many AgriFutures Australia initiatives ensuring our rural industries prosper now, and into the future.

Watch the highlight reel from the 2023 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Gala Dinner and National Announcement

The Application Process

Online applications for the 2024 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award are now closed, except for the Northern Territory.

Before you apply

We encourage applicants to familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions before applying. Click here to read the full document.
Within the application, all selection criteria must be addressed, and contact details of two referees must be supplied.
Referees will only be contacted if your application makes it to the final round – face-to-face state/territory interviews.
State/territory coordinator contact information is provided below and on the online application form – we encourage you to contact your state/territory coordinator before you submit your application. They will be able to guide you through the application process and provide feedback on your project, business or program to ensure it is relevant and meets the criteria.

How to apply

Applications for the Northern Territory 2024 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award are being accepted via the K2 platform. This is an easy three step process:

1 – Click here to launch the K2 application portal.

If you have an account, you will see green text saying ‘email exists’ and can enter your contact details then click next to start your application.
If you don’t have an account, you will be sent a one-time pin number via email.
Enter the pin number, create your password and then complete your contact information. Once completed, click next to start your application.
Please check your spam folder if you have not received the email with the code.

2 – Enter your email address and log in.

3 – Complete and submit your application, or save a draft application.

To save a draft, please click on ‘save draft’ at the bottom of the page. This will send a link to your email address, so you can log in and continue the application process when ready.

Late applications

Applications close on Wednesday, 25 October 2023 at midnight AEDT (NT applications close Friday, 26 January 2024). Applications will not be accepted via K2 after this point. Please allow sufficient time to complete your application.

If for some reason you are not able to meet the deadline, you will need to advise the AgriFutures Australia contact below of your circumstances, and they can advise you of your options.

Need more help?

Please refer to the detailed Rural Women’s Award K2 User Guide.

If you have further questions about the application process, reach out to helpdesk@agrifutures.com.au.

Further Information

Eligibility

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 Australian rural industries*, then we want to hear from you, no matter where you are based!
Applicants must have an existing project, business or program which is live and up and running.
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.
No formal qualifications are required.

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

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.

We encourage applicants to familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions before applying. Click here to read the full document.

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

Prizing & Grants

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 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.

Click here to see further benefits of the Award

Application Questions

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).

Timeline

Wednesday, 13 September 2023
2024 applications open

Wednesday, 25 October 2023
2024 applications close at 5pm AEDT.
(Note: NT Applications close 26 January 2024 at 5pm AEDT)

December 2023 – March 2024
2024 phone, and face-to-face interviews take place with the state/territory Selection Panel

March 2024 – May 2024
2024 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award state/territory winners announced

July 2024
2024 state/territory winners participate in a three-day workshop and National Selection Panel interviews

September 2024
2024 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Gala Dinner and National Announcement

September 2024
2025 applications open

2023 State/Territory Winners

Nikki Davey

VIC
National Winner

Entrepreneur and co-founder of Grown Not Flown Nikki Davey has a vision to see the local cut flower industry bloom, using her skills in business and digital product development to support small-scale growers.

Nikki worked in business and change management and is passionate about sustainable and regenerative agriculture on her central Victorian farm. As a budding flower farm Nikki saw a need for technologies dedicated to small-scale growers and developed her digital platform and app to connect consumers with local sustainable flower farmers, reducing ‘flower miles’ and supporting micro economies.

Since 2021 the platform has grown to have more than 3,500 users in 30 countries and more than flower growers listed. The VIC AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award grant will fund the development of a knowledge hub within the platform so that flower growers can tap into tips, tools and best practices.

Watch Nikki’s story

Michelle Leonard OAM

NSW/ACT
National Runner Up

Founder, Artistic Director and Conductor of Moorambilla Voices, Michelle Leonard OAM is the artistic visionary with a strong motivation to amplify creative opportunities for regional children and young adults as a catalyst for social change.

Moorambilla Voices is a nationally awarded regional arts organisation that has been making a significant impact since its inception in 2006. The organisation has provided skills development workshops directly into schools for over 40,000 children from 21 Local Government Areas. It has also commissioned over 100 new Australian works, and conducts yearly residency camps, tours, recordings, and performances for regional and metropolitan audiences. Through Michelle’s work, Moorambilla Voices showcases the extraordinary capacity of children as choristers, dancers, and visual artists to standing ovations.

Michelle will use the NSW AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award grant to fund her travel expenses to interview and learn from those who have benchmarked successful and innovative programs in rural and remote communities and collaborations with Indigenous Australian Elders.

Watch Michelle’s story

Ali Paulett

Ali Paulett, the founder of Indigenous Australian native garden, the Bush DeVine and managing director of Paulett Wines, is a passionate advocate for food education, collaboration with First Nations people and community connection. With over 20 years of experience in the Paulett family business, Ali now manages a team of more than 30 people.

As someone who has worked closely with the land for many years, Ali recognised the importance of creating a sense of place and knowledge that would educate schoolchildren and the wider community about how First Nations people used and nourished the environment. This led her to establish the Bush DeVine Indigenous Australian native sensory bush food garden in 2010, which now features 40 different types of native plants and a beautiful sensory walking path. In addition to being a popular attraction, the garden also supplies their Winery Restaurant, which opened in 2015.

Ali plans to use the SA AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award grant to add educational components to the DeVine garden including interactive signage, videography to enhance the sensory experience and a cooking vicinity for the community to utilise.

Watch Ali’s story

Eileen Breen

Eileen Breen is a passionate advocate for sustainable business and co-founder of NTEX, with a track record of creating new enterprises and projects that prioritise environmental responsibility.

With over 30 years of experience in a diverse range of industries, including in Australia and overseas, she has been instrumental in developing successful businesses and fostering entrepreneurship in the community. Mentoring, building capabilities and expanding networks are central to Eileen’s commitment to helping others succeed in their business endeavours.

Thanks to the NT AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award grant, Eileen plans to scale-up her SustainAbility project to more businesses. The initiative empowers rural, regional and remote businesses and communities to embrace the opportunities of the circular economy to deliver a positive benefit to local people, the planet and sustainable profit.

Watch Eileen’s story

Emma-Louise Gibbons

QLD

Emma-Louise Gibbons, the founder of Huds and Toke, is a trailblazing entrepreneur who is passionate about sustainability and reducing carbon emissions by utilising produce grown on farms which can’t be sold and insect protein in her pet treats.

Her dedication to sustainability and innovation has earned her global recognition, including a recent partnership with Krispy Kreme to offer dog-friendly doughnuts in their UK and US stores.

Thanks to the QLD AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award grant, Emma-Louise will be able to purchase highly specialised equipment that can process alternative proteins and ensure all production remains on site at her facilities.

Watch Emma’s story

Melissa Duniam

TAS

Melissa Duniam, facilitator and founder of Leading Rein, is an advocate for life-long learning and is sharing her knowledge of working alongside horses in a leadership development program.

Melissa is a business operator who’s worked for 20 years in the agricultural industry, including managing a dairy enterprise across multiple farms, accommodation stay and an indoor equestrian facility. Recovering from a farm accident in 2016 and inspired by her grandfather who picked up horsemanship later in life, Melissa began researching equine-assisted learning. Five years later she completed the training and founded her business, Leading Rein, working with people and teams to improve workplace culture, build communication and relationships.

Melissa plans to use the TAS AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award grant to expand her business and share the benefits of equine-assisted learning with the wider community.

Watch Melissa’s story

Michelle Moriarty

Founder of Grief Connect, Michelle Moriarty is helping widowed people across Australia to reduce social isolation and improve mental health outcomes whilst helping to normalise conversations about grief in the wider community.

It’s a mission that has a deep personal connection for Michelle who unexpectedly became a widow at 38 when her late partner Nathan died in 2018. Michelle’s lived experience and 18 years as a social worker led her to establish Facebook support groups for widowed women and men that offer a safe space for honest discussions about the harsh realities of losing a partner.

Michelle’s organisation Grief Connect is dedicated to providing support and counselling throughout the South West of WA and nationally through online telehealth. Michelle has also set up the Grief Language Project, promoting grief education, communication skills and grief management strategies. Michelle plans to use the WA AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award grant to extend the reach of her program, tap into professional advice and promote her work.

Watch Michelle’s story