Recently released Freedom of Information documents have raised questions about gender representation among businesses approved for grants under the federal government’s Industry Growth Program.
The program has been one of the federal government’s flagship commercialisation and growth initiatives.
It was designed to support startups and SMEs working across priority sectors including technology, manufacturing, clean energy and advanced industry.
As previously reported, the Industry Growth Program was quietly paused for new applications during budget week.
Industry Growth Program documents tell a familiar story for women founders
FOI documents obtained from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) suggest women-owned and women-led businesses accounted for a smaller share of approved Industry Growth Program grants than they did among the broader applicant pool.
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It’s worth noting that the data shouldn’t necessarily be treated as definitive. The FOI documents show gender information was collected on a voluntary basis and was not mandatory for applicants.
That means some applicants chose not to disclose gender-related information, while others selected “prefer not to answer”.
Still, the figures show women-owned businesses accounted for 375 of the 1,876 applications submitted to the Industry Growth Program during 2024. This was roughly 20% of applicants. Women-led businesses accounted for 297 applications, or around 16% of the pool.
Separate figures released by DISR show nine women-owned businesses and 11 women-led businesses received approved Industry Growth Program grants between July 2024 and December 2025.
In response to questions from Startup Daily, DISR confirmed 104 grants were approved during that period.
Based on the disclosed figures, women-owned businesses accounted for roughly 8.6% of approved grants, while women-led businesses represented around 10.6%.
The FOI documents also reveal the program operates through a ‘service-led’ structure, with businesses required to first enter the Industry Growth Program Advisory Service before becoming eligible for grant opportunities.
Separately, the documents show advisory services were assigned 905 times during 2024, including 150 women-owned businesses and 112 women-led businesses.
A DISR spokesperson told Startup Daily there are “no specific eligibility or preferential requirements for any particular demographic under the IGP”.
Startup Daily is not suggesting bias or discrimination within the program. However, the figures reveal a familiar story regarding representation and outcomes for women within Australia’s startup and commercialisation funding ecosystem.
The disclosure also identified some familiar startups and scaleups that had entered the program pipeline, including Gilmour Space, Endua, Liquid Instruments, Zetifi and Athena Artificial Intelligence.
The department said existing Industry Growth Program Advisory Service participants would continue to receive advice and existing grant agreements would continue to be honoured.
The spokesperson also confirmed no new grants had been approved between May 12 and May 19 following the pause.
