The NSW Government has launched Australia’s first database to showcase women-owned businesses and make it easier for women to connect and explore new business opportunities.
The Government has invested over $190,000 for Entrepreneurial & Small Businesswomen Australia (EBSWA) to support the development of the Women-Owned Enterprises Australia Supplier Network, a hub for women-led businesses of all sizes to increase their visibility.
The Supplier Network will then match women-owned enterprises on the database with commercial businesses or NSW Government tenders under $3 million.
The goal is to have 3,000 women on the database in three years to increase visibility and opportunities for their businesses.
“The Minns Government is working hard to empower women to dream big, start up and run their own businesses. Many women have fantastic business ideas, and just need a bit of a boost to turn them into something more,” said Minister for Women, Jodie Harrison.
“This new hub is a great way to connect women-owned and led businesses with NSW government tenders, so that we can use our buying power to really boost women’s opportunity.
“It’s not only good for women, but also great for our economy by increasing the diversity of suppliers.”
The 2021 Census shows approximately 34% of NSW small business owners are women. In comparison, 66% of the state’s small business owners are men. Increasing the proportion of small businesses owned by women supports economic growth and social progress.
To support women in seizing the opportunities, EBSWA has also been funded to run industry-specific procurement-readiness workshops to address existing knowledge barriers and a small business summit to help women connect and learn from each other.
“The core goal of ESBWA is to represent and advocate for women in business and entrepreneurship across Australia, ensuring women are visible, influential and economically powerful within policy, industry and enterprise,” said EBSWA founder and CEO, Amanda Rose.
“This is not just an announcement, it is the establishment of infrastructure. For the first time in Australia, there is a coordinated mechanism to identify, verify, prepare and actively connect women-owned enterprises into procurement supply chains,” she said.
“Small businesses are the engine room of the NSW economy, but for too long, many talented women entrepreneurs have been operating under the radar,” said Minister for Small Business, Janelle Saffin.
“By investing in this database, we are shining a light on women-led enterprises and ensuring they are front and centre when it comes to major contracts and tenders.”
More information and access to the Women-Owned Enterprise Australia Supplier Network hub is available here: https://www.esbwa.com.au/.
