Summary

The Pathfinder Growth Ready Program is a Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA) initiative, to be delivered from February 2027 to June 2027.

This program is designed for a cohort of 20 established Brisbane businesses that have a proven core business and are ready to pursue their next phase of growth. Rather than focusing primarily on strengthening the foundations of an early-stage business, the program will support leaders to identify, validate and implement a significant growth opportunity alongside their existing business.

The BEDA Pathfinder Growth Ready Program supports businesses with tailored advisory services through BEDA appointed business coaches.

The objectives of the BEDA Pathfinder Growth Ready Program are to:

• Provide tailored support to businesses from any industry sector seeking business model evolution and diversification.
• Guide businesses to explore new products, markets, partnerships, channels and scalable growth opportunities.
• Enable businesses to build a parallel growth initiative alongside an established core business, formalising governance structures, or managing commercial complexity across multiple revenue streams or business models.
• Strengthen cross-industry collaboration, innovation and networks for those local businesses who are in the latter phase of early-stage growth, moving into later-stage growth.

1. Expression of Interest

1.1 Businesses can express interest in participating in the BEDA Pathfinder Growth Ready Program by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) through completing an Application Form, undertaking the BEDA Business Compass diagnostic, and attending a Growth Readiness Forum.

1.2 All expression of interest submissions will be reviewed by a BEDA appointed assessment panel

1.3 Businesses must ensure that their ABN registration information is current and accurate as at the time of application.

1.4 Each expression of interest will be carefully considered and assessed against the Requirements of Participation (Section 2). Following this assessment, Brisbane Economic Development Agency will, at its absolute discretion, select businesses to invite to participate in the program.

1.5 Brisbane Economic Development Agency reserves the right to nominate businesses who have not submitted an expression of interest application to participate in the program.

1.6 Places in the program are limited and not all businesses that meet the Requirements for Participation will be offered a place. However other forms of support may be available, please visit the Brisbane Business Hub website for more information.

 

2. Requirements of Participation

2.1 To be chosen to participate in the BEDA Pathfinder Growth Ready Program, a business must at a minimum, meet the following requirements:

a) Complete the Expression of Interest process that involves submitting an online Application Form

b) Be a legally structured business in Queensland, and operating within the Brisbane Local Government Area,

c) Have an Australian Business Number (ABN)

d) Have been in operation for at least three years

e) Have an annual revenue of $1.5million to $10million+

f) Be in a position to sign up two participants from your business to complete the program, with one of those being the Business Owner (who attends all sessions as chief decision maker)

2.2 Brisbane Economic Development Agency will also consider the following to prioritise the order and timing of participants into the Pathfinder Growth Ready Program:

a) Signs of successful early growth and an intention to now grow further.

b) Priority industry sectors. A business’s primary business activity as reflected in the business’s ABN registration information.

c) Business location. A business’s primary business address as reflected in the business’s ABN registration information.

 

3. Outcome Notification

3.1 Brisbane Economic Development Agency will endeavour to provide the business the outcome of their Expression of Interest within 30 business days from the expression of interest close date.

 

4. Participation in BEDA Pathfinder Growth Ready Program – Terms and Conditions

4.1  If a business accepts an offer to participate in the BEDA Pathfinder Growth Ready Program, it must pay a participation fee of $495 (GST excl.) and sign a BEDA Program Participant Agreement that includes the full Terms and Conditions, alongside the program schedule.

4.2 Confirmed businesses must fully participate in the program, attending scheduled events and completing agreed tasks including surveys (see Section 5). If after commencement the business is unable to continue in the program the business must promptly advise BEDA. In such an event, BEDA may withdraw the business from the program, in its absolute discretion.

4.3 Participants of the BEDA Pathfinder Growth Ready Program will receive an end-of-program evaluation survey from BEDA for mandatory completion. Further mandatory additional evaluation surveys will be required for up to three years (on an annual basis) following the participation in the Pathfinder Growth Ready Program. Participant outcomes may be used in the program evaluation reviews and BEDA marketing collateral.

4.4 Participants may be asked to support BEDA in the promotion of the program. This may include involvement in media releases, case studies or promotional events and activities. BEDA may request participants to fact check any copy and seek approval to use any owned imagery associated with the activity prior to publication of any such promotional materials.

4.5 Participants must not make any public announcement or issue any media release regarding their participation in the Pathfinder Growth Ready Program without prior approval of BEDA. All participants (i.e. business legal name) may be publicly listed on BEDA platforms.

4.6 The business must comply with all industrial relations obligations as an employer in accordance with the National Employment Standards, as well as all laws including all applicable Commonwealth and Queensland legislation. If the business breaches any laws, BEDA in its absolute discretion, withdraw the business from the Program.

 

5. Participation in BEDA Pathfinder Growth Ready Program – User Journey

5.1 Once a business has accepted an offer to participate in the Pathfinder Growth Ready Program and completed a Participant Agreement, participants will be prompted to start their Pathfinder Growth Ready journey. Businesses will agree to the timing of the agreed schedule and complete the program within the defined period.

a) Growth Readiness Assessment: Participants start by completing a business growth readiness assessment as part of the Expression of Interest process (via attendance at BEDA pre-program Growth Readiness Forum or independently if not able to attend the forum) and must bring these results to their first set up and strategic planning meeting with their assigned BEDA Business Coach. This will assist in the provision of an increasingly informed and tailored Growth Potential Snapshot.

b) One to One Coaching: Participants will be allocated a BEDA Business Coach. This allocation is at the discretion of BEDA. The role of the Business Coach is to provide support, accountability and guidance throughout the Program. They act as a sounding board as program participants work towards their growth goals. Participants will meet with their Business Coach at regular intervals to further develop the Growth Action Plan and monitor business growth.

The Business Coach will:

• Provide assistance to evolve business model and build a comprehensive Growth Action Plan
• Conduct one-on-one virtual and face-to-face coaching meetings for accountability and highly tailored support to progress priority actions

c) Peer Groups: Participate in virtual group support meetings in your accountability and momentum pod. The facilitated Group Support will explore common issues for participants and a de-brief on the program content.

d) Speaker Events:

Attend panel-style program speaker events featuring local industry business leaders.

• Best practice recommendations for overcoming growth obstacles
• Networking with businesses within and outside the program

e) Graduation Event: Upon program completion, program participants will be invited to attend a recognition event that showcases their learnings and celebrates program completion. Participants will also be invited to join the BEDA Pathfinder and Business Growth Alumni Network.

5.2 Program Commitment

In summary here is the breakdown of program components and total time commitment over the 5 month program delivery period. The program scheduling allows for school holiday period breaks and will run for a total of 18 weeks.

•  2 hours: Launch & Onboarding event
• 5 hours: Individual coaching
• 6 hours Online Pod QA sessions (4 x 1.5 hours)
• 4 hours: Whole group accountability session (2 x 2 hours)
• 6 hours: Speaker & Networking events (4 × 1.5 hours)
• 3 hours: Graduation event

Participants will be given the program dates on confirmation of their successful application. Delivery dates will not be rescheduled. Coaching dates are at the discretion of the coach’s and the participant’s availability.

 

6. Privacy Statement

6.1 Information provided for this program will be used by BEDA for the purposes of Expression of Interest assessment, program administration and program review. In submitting an Expression of Interest, the person applying on behalf of the business consents to the sharing as outlined in Section 2 above. More information on BEDA’s privacy policy can be found here.

6.2 If there is an intention to include personal information about a third party in the application, the person applying must ensure the third party is aware of and consents to the contents of this privacy statement.

 

7. Other Information

7.1 The BEDA Pathfinder Growth Ready Program will be delivered until June 2027. The Expression of Interest process will close 6 months earlier to ensure successful registrants have time to complete their Pathfinder Growth Ready Program journey prior to program closure.

7.2 If you have any questions about your Expression of Interest or require further information on the program, contact the Brisbane Business Hub (now located within the Brisbane Economic Development Agency office).

7.3 Nothing contained in these guidelines are to be construed as creating any obligation, commitment or undertaking of BEDA to provide additional or further assistance or program subsidisation beyond that provided in these guidelines.

7.4 If an unsuccessful business considers that their application has been incorrectly assessed, they will have the opportunity to lodge a complaint.

7.5 BEDA reserves the right to amend these guidelines and the conditions of participation terms at any time as it deems appropriate.