AgriFutures Rural Women's Acceleration Grant

AgriFutures Australia is proud to champion diversity through our grants for women. In addition to our AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, we have created the Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant, which offers women with an idea, cause, or vision the chance to create impact in rural and emerging industries and communities by providing opportunities for learning and development to bring their vision to life.

About the Grant

The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant program runs separately, however complements the Rural Women’s Award process, aiming to provide a leadership and development opportunity to women who are not quite ready to apply for the Award.

Seven Australian women per annum will be granted with a learning and development bursary of up to $7,000 for professional development to enable them to bring their idea, cause or vision to life.

The Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant is one of many AgriFutures Australia initiatives ensuring our rural industries prosper now, and into the future.

Download the Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant Fact Sheet

Apply for the Rural Women's Acceleration Grant

Applications for the 2026 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant are now open! Not quite ready to apply? Stay in the loop by expressing your interest in future programs.

Express your interest now

Terms and Conditions of Entry

We encourage applicants to familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions of entry 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.

How to apply via our K2 platform

Applications for the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant are accepted via the K2 platform.

  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.
  2. If you don’t have an account, you will see ’email does not exist’ and will subsequently be able to send yourself a one-time pin number via email. Please check your junk/spam folder if you have not received the email with the code. Enter the pin number, create your password and then complete your contact information. Once completed, click next to start your application.
  3. Enter your email address and log in.
  4. Complete and submit your application or save a draft application and return later. 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.

Please refer to the detailed Step-by-Step Guide to Submitting an Application. If you have further questions about the K2 application process, reach out to 

Late applications

Applications close at 12:00pm AEDT sharp on Friday 7 November 2025. Late applications will not be accepted. We highly recommend getting your application in at least 24 hours prior to the closing date/time in case of any complications with the submission process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I eligible for the Acceleration Grant?

In order to apply for the Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant, applicants must:

  • Identify as female.
  • Be over the age of 18.
  • Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.*
  • Have an idea, cause or vision that is not yet realised or launched.
  • Have an idea, cause or vision that fits into one or more of the following categories: Community, Collaboration, Commercial.
  • Have an idea, cause or vision that is their own and has not been formed, developed or imagined by another person/s or by a company or organisation unless owned or founded by the applicant.
  • Have an idea, cause or vision that will positively impact rural and emerging industries**, and rural, regional, and remote businesses and communities.
  • Have an idea, cause or vision that aligns to a minimum of two of the Acceleration Grant’s values:
    • Empathetic
    • Authentic
    • Cooperative
    • Confident
    • Courageous
    • Grit
    • Resourceful
    • Pragmatic
    • Clarity of Purpose
    • Inclusive
    • Innovative.

Applicants are ineligible if they are:

  • An employee, related party, or immediate family member of key management personnel at AgriFutures Australia, a major sponsor of the Rural Women’s Award, or a government agency partner of the Rural Women’s Award.
  • A previous national winner or state/territory winner of:
    • the ABC Radio Rural Woman of the Year
    • the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award
    • the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.***

No formal qualifications are required.

*Residential location within Australia is no barrier. From the city centre to an outback station, if you are working to make a difference in rural Australia, you are eligible.

**When we refer to “rural and emerging industries” we mean those within the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector.

***Previous State/Territory Finalists are encouraged to apply if they fit the eligibility criteria.

I have an existing project, business or program. Can I still apply?

The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant is for those who have an idea, cause or vision that is in its early stages, or not fully developed.

Any pre-existing or established businesses, programs or projects which are already operational/live/up-and-running are not eligible for the Acceleration Grant.

In this case, we recommend that you consider applying for the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.

Find out more about the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award

Can I nominate somebody for the Acceleration Grant?

Absolutely! You can nominate someone for the Grant, but it’s important that the application comes directly from the nominee themselves.

A firsthand account ensures that they have full ownership of their vision, project, goals and personal experiences. For this reason, applications completed by anyone other than the applicant themselves will be deemed invalid and excluded.

We encourage you to share the opportunity directly with inspiring women and non-binary people in your life. However, if you’d prefer to remain anonymous, you can share their name, contact details, and project with us by emailing . We’ll then reach out directly to encourage them to apply.

What are the Acceleration Grant application questions?

In the application form, you will be asked to answer the following questions:

  1. Explain your idea, cause or vision.
  2. Will your idea, cause or vision be part of an existing business or organisation? If so, please indicate the name, structure and size of that organisation, and whether you are an owner or founder of that organisation.
  3. Select the categories your idea/cause/vision fits into (you can select more than one).
    • Community: An idea/cause/vision which is based in and delivers value to a community.
    • Collaboration: An idea/cause/vision which involves multiple people working together to achieve a shared vision.
    • Commercial: An idea/cause/vision which is able to be commercialised.
  4. Explain how your idea, cause or vision aligns to the categories you selected.
  5. What leadership and development opportunities are you interested in pursuing to turn your idea, cause or vision into a reality?
  6. What learning and development opportunities would you spend the $7,000 Acceleration Grant on? (bullet point form is fine).

What is included in the Acceleration Grant prizing?

Successful recipients will receive a bursary from AgriFutures (not a cash prize) valued at up to $7,000. This bursary is specifically for professional learning and development, empowering recipients to bring their idea, cause or vision to life.

Unlike the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, AgriFutures directly manages the selection process. Grant applications are assessed and awarded on merit, (as opposed to one Grant per State/Territory).

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 explicit approval from AgriFutures Australia) or further tertiary education such as a Diploma, Masters or Doctorate degree.

What is the timeline for applications and announcements?

Wednesday, 10 September 2025

Applications open

Friday, 7 November 2025

Applications close at 12:00pm AEDT sharp

December 2025
Successful recipients announced

September 2026
Applications open for the 2027 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant

2026 Recipients

Claudia Humphries
New South Wales

Claudia is an agriculture educator and founder of AgHeroes, a hands‑on food and fibre education program designed to inspire young Australians to understand where their food and fibre comes from. Through interactive workshops, character‑driven learning resources, and partnerships with industry bodies, she aims to bridge the growing disconnect between producers and consumers. Claudia’s vision is to build a generation of informed, curious students who value Australian farming and its role in their communities.

Julia Strang 
New South Wales

Julia is developing an early‑intervention approach to reduce homelessness among women over 55 – the fastest‑growing at‑risk group in Australia. Her work focuses on prevention decades earlier, helping younger women in regional areas strengthen financial autonomy, workforce continuity and social connection. Julia’s project seeks to unite financial educators, social services, health and wellbeing specialists, women’s networks and policy groups to create long‑term, community‑driven solutions that support women’s security and independence across life stages.

Leneila Lynne
Victoria 

Leneila is the CEO and co-founder of Acumind AI, an adaptive, multilingual digital learning platform transforming how agricultural workers learn about safety, compliance and on‑farm processes. Her Learning Intelligence Platform uses AI‑powered personalisation and visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic (VARK) learning principles to make critical training accessible for CALD and diverse workforces. Leneila’s mission is to improve safety, inclusion and productivity across the agricultural sector by replacing outdated induction materials with clear, engaging, worker‑centred learning.

Rebecca Lane 
Victoria

With a background in operations and risk management, Rebecca is developing Business Back‑Up Plans – a practical continuity planning service tailored for regional solopreneurs, consultants and small teams. Recognising the vulnerability of service‑based businesses that rely on a single person, Rebecca is adapting global Business Continuity Institute (BCI) frameworks into simple, usable tools designed specifically for rural Australia. Her vision is to strengthen regional economies by helping small businesses stay resilient through unexpected disruption.

Rebecca Couch 
Victoria

Rural nurse, farmer and health advocate Rebecca is the founder of The Wellness Couch Co., an initiative empowering rural women to better understand perimenopause and menopause. Through her PeriPause Power Hour workshops, she translates complex health information into practical, relatable tools delivered in familiar community spaces. Each woman receives a ‘Wellness Couch Toolkit’ – a simple, evidence‑based guide to navigating midlife health with confidence. Rebecca’s mission is to normalise these conversations and improve wellbeing across regional communities

Stephanie Allanson
New South Wales

Stephanie is building an organisation to support rural community members who have experienced sexual violence. Her project aims to counter misinformation, break long‑standing silence and provide clear pathways to support services. She also plans to develop practical education resources for employers – including induction materials and guidance on responding to harassment – to help create safer, more informed workplace cultures in agricultural settings. Stephanie’s vision is to foster healthier, more respectful communities across rural Australia.

Toni Duka
South Australia

South Australian facilitator and coach Toni is designing a positive‑psychology‑based program to help farmers navigate the transition to retirement – a life stage often marked by identity loss, relationship strain and challenging succession conversations. Through workshops, peer groups and reflective coaching, her project supports farmers to reconnect with purpose, redefine their identity and build meaningful roles beyond the farm gate. Toni’s approach aims to strengthen individual wellbeing while improving intergenerational succession and community vitality.

Previous Recipients

Find out more about the work of previous recipients of the Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant here.

Contact

Annabel Day
Coordinator, Capacity Building