Deadline: 06-Dec-2024
The NSW Government has launched the Return to Work Pathways Grant Program to support women from priority cohorts who are experiencing persistent barriers to employment to gain increased work readiness and to secure sustainable employment.
Program Objective
- A variety of bespoke and tailored projects will be funded, to provide wraparound supports including training, mentoring and pathways to employment. Projects will be targeted to priority cohorts, responding to their specific needs, life stages and circumstances.
- The 2024-25 RTWPP grants target eight priority cohorts of women experiencing low workforce participation and/or high unemployment rates, combined with complex intersectional barriers to employment.
- Projects must be targeted to supporting women into paid employment. Supporting women to achieve self-employment and/or entrepreneurship are outside the scope of the RTWPP.
- This program is administered by Women NSW.
Who the grant is targeted towards?
- Applications for the 2024-25 RTWPP grants must target and demonstrate outcomes for one of the following cohorts of women:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
- women with disability
- careers
- young women (17-24 years)
- older women (55 years and over)
- women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities
- women living in regional, rural, and remote areas (particularly Far West NSW and North Western NSW)
- women living in Western Sydney
Funding Information
- Funding for projects will vary within the range of $100,000 – $250,000.
Duration
- The project should be started by 1 July 2025 and the project must be completed by 30 June 2027.
Types of Projects Funded
- The RTWPP program will fund a variety of models and funding will vary according to the proposed model and corresponding extent of services to be provided, in response to priority cohorts’ needs.
- Projects should provide a model delivering some or all of the following components. A minimum of four service components is required. Supports can include, but are not limited to the following:
- Tailored wraparound supports - Supported referrals to services, career coaching and guidance, other support activities, and programs to build confidence. Time-limited support following participant’s employment.
- Mentoring - Provide mentoring using a suitable mentoring model, this may include peer and volunteer mentoring.
- Training - Provide appropriate training programs in a variety of formats responding to participants needs. Supported referral to other training and education options as required.
- Work readiness - Pre-employment training, work readiness skills training and coaching to build participants’ capability and confidence.
- Pathways to employment - Facilitated employment opportunities using models such as job placement, paid traineeships and other programs that offer established pipelines to employment.
- Engagement of employers - Partnering with employers to facilitate employment options for participants and for employers to create supportive environments.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be a legally constituted Australian-based entity from one of these four categories:
- Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Organisations (ACCO).
- Incorporated, not-for-profit organisations, including community organisations.
- Social enterprises.
- NSW Local councils and shires (who must be listed on the Office of Local Government), including regional organisations of councils and consortia of councils.
- Applicants must be willing to obtain appropriate public liability insurance (minimum of $10 million) if successful.
- An application must be made by a single organisation that will accept responsibility for delivery of the project if the application is successful.
- Applicants must be based within NSW, unless they can demonstrate that the project will be run in and for the benefit of women and/or girls in NSW and that the organisation meets all regulatory, business requirements.
- Applicants must apply for funding within the specified amounts of $100,000 to $250,000.
Ineligibility Criteria
- Funding will not be provided to:
- Individuals or groups of individuals, including sole traders.
- Unincorporated organisations.
- For profit commercial organisations and entities.
- Sub-contractors – either for program management or for project delivery on behalf of non-eligible organisations.
- NSW Government or Australian Government agencies or their entities (including public trusts).
- Applicants requesting 100 percent project funding from Women NSW.
- Projects which already receive NSW or Commonwealth Government funding.
For more information, visit NSW Government.