City of Sydney grants offered for female start-ups

Women will receive more support to become tech entrepreneurs, with new cash grants on offer from the City of Sydney.

City will provide local organisations with $80,000 in grants to help them deliver initiatives that offer tech start-ups access to information, industry experts and investors.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the grants would support the City’s tech start-up action plan goals and help maintain Sydney’s standing as Australia’s number one city for tech entrepreneurs.

“To attract the best global talent, we are focused on creating an environment that helps innovative businesses to thrive,” Moore said.

“We’re committed to helping start-ups access global markets so they can grow their businesses and develop international relationships.

“In particular, we are focused on helping forge the female entrepreneurs of tomorrow by ensuring they have access to entrepreneurship support, business skills and investment opportunities.”

Tech Ready Women will receive a $25,000 grant for its ‘From idea to startup’ program — a series of three events that will give at least 450 women in Sydney access to experts and mentors to help them in becoming entrepreneurs. The program also includes support for three women to take part in Tech Ready Women’s 10-week education program.

Tech Ready Women founder Christie Whitehill said the programs will fill a skills gap in the market.

“Tech Ready Women is focused on educating women who are not tech savvy but want to launch and grow a tech business by giving them the business education and knowledge they need,” she said.

“We can provide access to world-class mentors to help current and future female founders develop their start-up idea and make connections within start-up communities to enable them to create the businesses of the future.”

The City will provide a $40,000 grant to TechSydney, a member-based not-for-profit organisation, to help develop a tech start-up website that will be a central resource and information hub for the local tech start-up community.

TechSydney will also receive a $15,000 grant to produce a four-part event series featuring entrepreneurs and business leaders from Southeast Asia to give an overview of the Southeast Asian technology landscape, present opportunities for Sydney businesses looking to access the market and explore the fintech sector in Indonesia.

Bede Moore, director of TechSydney, said the industry group was committed to making Sydney one of the world’s leading technology cities.

“To help create the right conditions for start-ups to succeed, we’re working with businesses and federal, state and local governments to help Sydney’s start-ups navigate the tech ecosystem and fast track their business,” Moore said.

“These grants will help us provide access to information and skills that will make it easier for international companies looking to establish a base or invest in Sydney, and also for Sydney-based companies to go abroad, particularly to Southeast Asia.”

The three City knowledge exchange grants have been awarded to the organisations for projects that will be delivered by early 2019.

Image caption: Tech Ready Women founder Christie Whitehill.

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