This program is for women who have an idea for a tech or innovation startup. The program covers all of the key steps required to test and launch your idea. You are ideally in the early stages of developing your business and you feel like you’re missing some key skills and knowledge to help you to get it to market.

You do not have to have prior experience in order to apply.

We welcome female founders from underserved communities including women who are diverse, based in regional communities, CALD, Women of Colour, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and/or returning to work.

We recognise and acknowledge the intersection of race and gender identities. Our program is offered to marginalised genders including women, women-identifying individuals, and non-binary and gender non-conforming people who are comfortable in a community space that centres on the education, mentoring and business support of women in the startup ecosystem.

You can apply online with two simple steps. First register through our website. You will then be sent an email with the application form.

Application close dates are advised on the website and included in the application form.

Head to our website and register your details. Then, you will receive an email with your application form. Via this application form, we will gather information about your startup business and stage to learn more about you and how this program can help you.

Once we have received your application you will be notified if you have been shortlisted by the date specified on our website (within 5 business days after your application).

The shortlisted applicants will be notified via email and/or phone.

If your application is successful, you will be offered a spot in the program. The program fee of our national cohort is being offered at a special price of $2,000+GST ($2,723+GST), subsidised thanks to the support of our sponsor Bigger. This is equivalent to 5% of what an average MBA (Master in Business Administration) costs in Australia. Payment plans are available.

Criteria for judging are based on the following:

• You self-identify as a woman or you are a non-binary and gender non-conforming individual who is comfortable in a community space that centres on the education, mentoring and business support of women in the startup ecosystem
• You have an idea for a startup, or have already started building one (see definition of startup in our FAQs)
• Your connection to the idea and why you are the best person to build it
• Clarity in the application (how well you can articulate your idea)

The judging panel consider the criteria outlined before along with the additional information provided by the applicant via the application form to determine whether the application is successful. This assessment is performed case by case.

We will spend time reviewing each application before deciding on the final participants to ensure those selected will benefit the most out of the program.

Places are limited so if your application is not successful for this round we will encourage you to reapply for the next intake. We want to see you succeed so will also refer you to other programs and communities that can support your stage of business.

Yes, you definitely can. For this, there is a question in the application form where you will need to provide your business partner's name and contact details. Please consider that if you're applying with your business partner or co-founder, it means that each of you would like to take the program, therefore, each of you would need to pay the program fee separately.

If this is not suitable for you, we also suggest one of you apply and take the program to then, pass on your learning to your co-founder. In this case, you don't need to write any details about your business partner in the application form.

Yes, visa holders are welcome to apply!

A startup is a company in the initial stages of bringing technology and innovative products or services to market in a new way.

This includes small businesses selling products or services online, an app to make people’s lives easier, a platform to help businesses be more efficient, and many others. The beauty of startups is that there are infinite possibilities to innovate and bring solutions to our communities.

We encourage startups in both technology and innovation to apply. We are looking for scalable startup ideas, i.e. a business model that can increase revenue, without a direct increase in expenditure.

Our 8-week program supports women in the early stages of developing a startup idea. Typically, you will have:

• A startup idea unformed and looking to up-skill through expert teachings and mentor assistance
• A startup idea formed and looking to create a business product from the idea during the program with feedback from mentors
• A startup idea fully formed and some research conducted with a focus on connection to mentors and industry experts
• Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in the market but not yet commercialised or reached product market fit

Yes, we will not disclose your application details to any unauthorised parties or sources. We ensure confidentiality of the information with the data that you provide to us via the application form.

If you are concerned about your startup idea IP, you don't need to share with us anything you wouldn't share in a public forum.

The TRW Female Founder Startup program start date is announced on our website and runs for 8 weeks.

If the start or end date is moved, we will update communications and let you know as soon as possible.

The program is an 8-week online program. All sessions will be held virtually, including Orientation Night and Graduation Night. 

You will have a Program Lead and mentors to support and assist you with your questions and to implement your learnings. Our activities and exercises are specifically designed to improve your success rate, when it comes to building sustainable technology products and services.

You will have also access to office hours sessions every week with mentors and experts.

The online modules have been created by industry experts in startups, UX design, software development, product strategy and investment. We’ll provide you with templates, resources, and activities to help you develop your idea, tech product or service.

In general, during the course of the program, you will get access to:

• Weekly online workshops
• E-learning modules
• Weekly small group office hours with experts and mentors
• Additional Lunch & Learns with special guests (optional)
• Weekly check-ins with your Program Lead (optional)
• Community platform
• A supportive community of female founders

Small-Group Office Hours are scheduled on a weekly basis and there will be different options of days and times throughout the week for you to choose from. Office hours are a chance for you to connect with our mentors and ask any questions you may have (not only program content related).

We also offer optional Bonus Sessions. We will deliver extra Lunch & Learn sessions throughout the program on topics you need help with the most. You can expect 3 to 4 Lunch & Learns. In addition, your Program Lead will also deliver Check-in sessions on Fridays in case you need extra support. These Bonus Sessions are optional and recorded.

We want you to maximise as much time with the mentors as possible so all of the learning content is offered via our e-learning platform. This means you will have the opportunity to do pre-work before the workshops, giving you time to implement some of the learnings, and gain valuable feedback from our mentors. The content is taught via video so be sure to take notes of any questions so the facilitators and mentors can answer them on the weekly online workshops.

Yes. Tech Ready Women’s programs are designed for non-tech female founders. There will be unfamiliar terms, but the mentors and experts are there to explain any concepts you may have questions about.

Typically, there is a 2-hour digital e-learning & activities per module delivered by our experts and 1.5 hour of live workshops per week. The first three weeks will require more time than most due to the activities set.

We understand that women juggle too many things when running a business so we try to be flexible and facilitate workshops recordings via our e-learning platform. Overall, we recommend you set aside at least 4-5 hours per week outside of the weekly workshops to implement the activities and attend office hours.

We have the following payment plan available:

• 3x monthly payment plan: x3 $700 monthly instalments = $2,100+GST

The first invoice will be paid before the program starts.

If a company purchases the course, that company can claim the GST. The course is tax-deductible, however please seek advice from your accountant.

You get 1.5 hours per week with mentors during the weekly online workshops. Each online session has approximately 3-4 mentors. 

Also, you will get access to additional sessions as small group office hours every week and Lunch & Learns with experts and mentors.

Program participants can contact mentors via our startup platform that you will get access to if you have any questions about course content.

Office hours are held in small groups of 4 founders for a total of 60 minutes with one of your mentors. These sessions are a great opportunity for founders to ask questions about their startups and the content of the program, as well as connect with other founders in small settings.

Each week, you will get access to the calendar of office hours available with our mentors for you to book.

Yes, you can. If you would like a personalised experience during your office hours, one-on-one 60-minute office hours are available on-demand at a subsidised extra cost of $180/session (valued at $280).

All of our experts have a minimum of 5 years of experience but mostly 10 to 20 years of experience in UX design, product management, technology and entrepreneurship. Please speak to one of our team for a list of who will be teaching your program.

Workshops will be held online through Zoom. You will receive calendar invites with dial-in details to Zoom prior to your workshop.

Workshop sessions are held on Mondays (or Tuesdays if the date falls on a public holiday).

Every online workshop starts at 12:30 PM AEST sharp so you are required to log in to the Zoom room by 12:25 PM AEST. You will be queued in a waiting room and let in at 12:30 PM. The workshops run for 1.5 hour and will finish at 2 PM AEST.

The calendar of weekly workshops is available on our website.

At our virtual Graduation Night, one of the participants of this program will be the winner of the prize.

The prize is valued at $5,000. This will be composed of $2,500 of cash + $2,500 of credits towards future Tech Ready Women's program.

The value of the program credits will be determined based on the public fee of the program, before discounts or subsidies.

The winner of the prize will be determined via the following criteria:

• Score given by the judging panel on your pitch at the Virtual Graduation Night. This score will represent 80% of the final score. Judges will qualify each pitch based on the following criteria:
  • Problem clarity
  • Solution Fit & Uniqueness
  • Market Opportunity
  • Traction & Validation
  • Founder Credibility & Capability
  • Pitch Delivery & Storytelling
• Attendance record to our weekly workshops and office hours. This score will represent 20% of the final score.