Summary
The Women in Business (WIB) Founder to CEO Program (Program) is a Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA) initiative delivered from February to June 2027.
The Program is designed to support 20 women-led businesses in the mid-early growth stage, helping women founders evolve their role as the business grows by changing how they lead, share responsibility and make decisions, while building the people, systems and ways of working needed for continued growth.
The Program combines individual coaching, facilitated workshops and small Momentum Groups to support participants to apply and test changes in their business.
The objectives of the Program are to:
- Support women-led businesses to navigate early growth by understanding the leadership shift from being the primary source of value in the business to creating the conditions for others and systems to create value.
- Connect women-led businesses with communities and networks that support collaboration, shared learning and mutual support.
- Help build the leadership, people and organisational capability needed to support future growth and capital readiness.
1. Application Process
1.1 Businesses can express interest in participating in the Program by submitting an Application Form and completing BEDA’s Business Compass diagnostic.
1.2 All Applications will be reviewed by a BEDA-appointed selection panel.
1.3 Businesses must ensure that their ABN registration information is current and accurate as at the time of application.
1.4 Each Application will be considered against the Requirements of Participation in Section 2 and the information provided through the Application Form and BEDA Business Compass. Following this assessment, BEDA will, at its absolute discretion, select businesses to invite to participate in the Program.
1.5 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 Program, a business must, at a minimum, meet the following requirements:
a) Complete the Expression of Interest process that includes submitting both an Application Form and undertaking BEDA’s Business Compass diagnostic.
b) Be a legally structured business with its primary business address located within the Brisbane Local Government Area, as reflected in its ABN registration information.
c) Be a women-led business, with at least 50% of the business owned by women.
d) Have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
e) Have been in operation for at least two years.
f) Have an annual total turnover for FY2025-26 of $500,000 to $1.5 million+.
2.2 BEDA may also consider the following when selecting participants for the Program:
a) The size and structure of the business, with the Program primarily designed for businesses with approximately 5 to 20 FTE employees.
b) The business's current stage and future aspirations.
c) The leadership and growth challenges identified by the applicant.
d) Evidence that the founder's role needs to evolve as the business grows.
e) The applicant's readiness to actively participate in the Program and apply learning within their business.
3. Outcome Notification
3.1 BEDA will endeavour to notify all applicants of the outcome of their Application in December 2026.
4. Successful Applicant Verification
4.1 Businesses offered a place in the Program will be required to provide supporting documentation to verify information provided in their Application and confirm that they meet the Requirements of Participation.
4.2 Supporting documentation may include:
a) up to four recent Business Activity Statements (BAS) to verify business turnover;
b) evidence of the business’s primary business address within the Brisbane Local Government Area; and
c) evidence of business ownership to confirm that at least 50% of the business is owned by women.
4.3 An offer to participate in the Program may be subject to BEDA being satisfied that the business meets the Requirements of Participation based on the supporting documentation provided.
5. Participation in BEDA WIB Founder to CEO Program – Terms and Conditions
5.1 If a business accepts an offer to participate in the Program, it must sign a BEDA Program Participant Agreement that includes the full Terms and Conditions, alongside the Program Schedule.
5.2 Confirmed businesses must fully participate in the program, which includes attending scheduled events and completing agreed tasks including surveys. 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.
5.3 Participants of the BEDA WIB Founder to CEO 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 Program. Participant outcomes may be used in the program evaluation reviews and BEDA marketing collateral.
5.4 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.
5.5 Participants must not make any public announcement or issue any media release regarding their participation in the Program without prior approval of BEDA. Successful participants (i.e. business legal name) may be publicly listed on BEDA platforms.
5.6 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.
6. Participation in the WIB Founder to CEO Program
6.1 Once a business has accepted an offer to participate in the Program and completed the Participant Agreement, the nominated participant will commence the WIB Founder to CEO Program in February 2027. Participants are expected to attend scheduled Program activities and complete the Program within the defined delivery period.
a) Individual Coaching: Participants will be allocated a Leadership Coach by the Program delivery partner. Coaching sessions support participants to clarify their Founder to CEO goals, reflect on their progress and identify priorities for continued growth. Participants will attend two individual coaching sessions during the Program.
b) Workshops: Participants will attend three integrated workshops:
a) Workshop 1 - Lead Yourself: Explore founder assumptions, identity and habits shaping leadership and growth.
b) Workshop 2 - Lead the Company: Practise CEO behaviours through transferring responsibility, creating accountability and sharing decision-making.
c) Workshop 3 - Build the Business Beyond You: Build organisational capability through systems, processes and operating rhythms.
Workshops will be hands-on and interactive, with participants identifying practical changes to test and apply within their business between sessions.
c) Momentum Groups: Participants will be allocated to a small Momentum Group for the duration of the Program and will attend three facilitated virtual group sessions. These sessions are designed to help participants maintain momentum, share experiences and work through implementation barriers as they test changes within their business.
d) Graduation Showcase: Upon Program completion, participants will be invited to attend a Graduation Showcase to reflect on their Founder to CEO journey and recognise Program completion.
6.2 Program Commitment
In summary here is the breakdown of program components and total time commitment over the 5 month program delivery period.
- Launch & Onboarding event – 2 hours
- One-on-One Coaching – 3 hours (2 x 1.5 hours)
- Workshops – 9 hours (3 x 3 hours)
- Momentum Group sessions – 4.5 hours (3 x 1.5 hours)
- Graduation event – 2 hours
6.3 Program Schedule
The scheduled Program activities comprise approximately 20.5 hours across the five-month delivery period, excluding time participants spend applying and testing changes within their business between sessions. The Program schedule allows for school holiday breaks.
| Program activity | Date/timing | Delivery |
|
Launch & Onboarding |
9 February 2027, 9am - 11am | In person |
| Coaching Session 1 | Week commencing 15/22 February 2027* | Virtual |
| Workshop 1: Lead Yourself | 2 March 2027, 9am - 12pm | In person |
| Momentum Group 1 | 22 March 2027, 90minutes | Virtual |
| Workshop 2: Lead the Company | 13 April 2027, 9am - 12pm | In person |
| Momentum Group 2 | 27 April 2027, 90minutes | Virtual |
| Workshop 3: Build the Business Beyond You | Mid May 2027 - date to be confirmed** | In person |
| Momentum Group 3 | 25 May 2027, 90minutes | Virtual |
| Coaching Session 2 | Week commencing 7/14 June 2027* | Virtual |
| Graduation Showcase | 15 June 2027, 9am - 11am | In person |
*Individual coaching appointments will be scheduled within the nominated coaching periods.
** Workshop 3 will be held in mid-May 2027. The confirmed date will be published on the Program webpage once finalised.
7. Privacy Statement
7.1 Information provided for this Program will be used by BEDA for the purposes of Application assessment, program administration and program review. More information on BEDA’s privacy policy can be found here.
7.2 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.
8. Other Information
8.1 If you have any questions about your Application or require further information on the program, contact the Brisbane Business Hub (now located within the Brisbane Economic Development Agency office) at [email protected].
8.2 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.
8.3 If an unsuccessful business considers that their application has been incorrectly assessed, they will have the opportunity to lodge a complaint.
8.4 BEDA reserves the right to amend these guidelines and the conditions of participation terms at any time as it deems appropriate.
