CSQ’s Commitment
CSQ works closely with various industry bodies who share our vision for a more diverse construction workforce and organisations committed entirely to this purpose. We collaborate with the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and Awesome Women in Construction (AWIC) to encourage more women to consider a career in construction.
CSQ also regularly reports on female participation rates in the industry, including whole-of-industry representation, women in trade roles, and female apprentices. These reports provide valuable insights into the current state of diversity in the construction industry and help identify areas where improvement is needed. We use this information to develop targeted initiatives and programs that aim to increase female participation in the industry.
To explore the latest published research, view the data chart packs and reports in the Knowledge Centre.
Supporting Women in Construction Grants Program
Queensland’s construction industry has a significant opportunity to strengthen workforce participation and diversity. To support this, Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) is investing $4 million in 2026-27 through the Supporting Women in Construction Grants Program.
The program funds industry-led initiatives that help attract more women into construction careers, support women already working in the industry, and create pathways for long-term career success.
What funding is available?
Eligible organisations can apply for between $50,000 and $500,000 per year to deliver projects that make a measurable impact in one or more of the following areas:
Promote construction careers
Raise awareness and highlight construction as a rewarding career for women
Support career progression
Provide professional development opportunities for women in industry
Drive gender equity and inclusion
Improve culture, safety and opportunity across workplaces
Build networks and connections
Strengthen engagement and retention
Frequently asked questions
You can download the full list of FAQ’s here.
Who should apply?
To be eligible to receive funding, applicants must meet one of the following criteria:
- Be a construction industry association; or
- A not-for-profit organisation or charity supporting women in construction; or
- A for-profit organisation supporting women in construction
To be eligible for funding, applicants must also have a Queensland base and connections to the construction industry.
Ineligible organisations include:
- Apprentice Connect Australia providers
- Workforce Australia providers
- Federal, state and local government agencies
- Statutory authorities and government-owned corporations
What is the application process?
What is the application process?
Supporting Women in Construction applications will be considered as part of a single competitive application round in 2026-27 that will support funding allocations over the three-year program period.
The application round opens on Monday 3 August 2026 and will be open for eight weeks.
Applications must be submitted to [email protected] by close of business Friday 25 September 2026. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
The Supporting Women in Construction Application Form can be found on CSQ’s website at Supporting Women in Construction.
How will applications be assessed?
Applications will be assessed by CSQ in two stages.
Stage one – CSQ will undertake an initial assessment of applications against the ‘Capacity to Manage’ criteria to ensure compliance with the objectives and eligibility requirements of the program.
Applications that do not ‘meet’ this initial assessment will be considered ineligible to proceed.
Stage two – all eligible applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
- Industry Need
- Strategies to Assist Participants
- Outcomes
- Value for Money
On finalisation of the application assessment and approval process CSQ will notify applicants of the outcome of their application.
CSQ will publish a list of successful applicants at Supporting Women in Construction
Who are Supporting Women in Construction projects aimed at?
Funded projects will engage and support Queensland-based women already working in construction and women interested in exploring career pathways into construction.
More specifically, to be eligible to participate in Supporting Women in Construction projects, women must be:
- an Australian or New Zealand Citizen or Permanent Resident; or an individual that has the right to work in Australia; or has a Valid Visa prescribed by CSQ
- a permanent resident of Queensland
- employed in the Queensland Building and Construction Industry or interested in a construction career (eg. graduates, career seekers, career changers, women returning to the workforce).
Are school students eligible to participate in funded projects?
CSQ recognises that female senior school students interested in exploring a career in construction may be interested in participating in specific SWIC project activities.
The Supporting Women in Construction Grants Program is designed to complement CSQ’s existing programs and initiatives, and our Construction Pathways initiative is the primary approach for CSQ to engage with school students through our partners.
As a result, it is anticipated that projects that seek to exclusively target female school students will not be prioritised for funding under this program.
CSQ will consider female senior student participation on a case-by-case basis to ensure alignment with the objectives of the approved SWIC project and to ensure there is no duplication with Construction Pathways activity.
What type of projects will be funded?
SWIC projects will focus on one or more of the following eligible activity streams:
- Promote construction careers – raise awareness, shift perceptions and highlight the value of a construction career for women
- Support industry-led gender equity and inclusion – deliver initiatives aimed at improving culture, safety and equity across construction workplaces
- Provide professional development – offer opportunities that support women working in construction to grow and progress in their careers
- Build networks and connections – engage women working in construction to support retention
Examples of activities that may be supported are provided in the SWIC Guidelines for Funding.
Are schools eligible to apply for funding?
As noted under Eligible Applicants in the Guidelines for Funding, schools are not targeted under the program, but CSQ acknowledges that schools may form part of a project’s network.
CSQ works closely with a broad range of schools through its Construction Pathways initiative, providing students and teachers with valuable information, experiences and opportunities to build awareness of careers in the construction industry.
The Supporting Women in Construction Grants Program is designed to complement CSQ’s existing programs and initiatives. Therefore, to avoid duplication with activities already delivered through Construction Pathways, applications submitted by schools are expected to be assessed as ineligible or not prioritised for funding under this program.
Are Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) eligible to apply for funding?
RTOs that meet the ‘Eligible Applicants’ criteria outlined in the SWIC Guidelines for Funding are eligible to apply for funding.
However, RTOs need to ensure that activities proposed for delivery align with the eligible activity streams outlined in the program guidelines, which does not include the delivery of accredited training.
The Supporting Women in Construction Grants Program is designed to complement CSQ’s existing programs and initiatives. Therefore qualifications, short courses and micro-credentials are not priorities for funding under this program, as noted under Ineligible Activities in the Guidelines for Funding.
CSQ conducts an Expression of Interest (EOI) process annually for additional CSQ training delivery partners, following completion of our annual procurement cycle.
Each year we review statewide training delivery to identify any gaps not fully met through our contracted supplier network. Where gaps are identified, CSQ may invite applications from new RTOs to ensure industry skill needs continue to be met across Queensland.
Information about future opportunities will be published on CSQ’s website from October 2026 – see https://www.csq.org.au/csq-procurement-2025/
How much funding can organisations apply for?
Eligible organisations can apply for funding between $50,000 to $500,000 per year, with successful applicants funded for up to 12 months initially.
The level of funding awarded for each project will be dependent on activities to be delivered, project reach and the level of specialist support to be provided.
Successful applicants may also be approved annual funding for a further two years, subject to first-year performance and ongoing funding availability.
Can an organisation submit more than one application in the funding round?
No, organisations may only submit one application in the 2026-27 funding round (with up to four streams of activity). This is to ensure CSQ supports a diverse range of partnerships and projects throughout Queensland.
What can Supporting Women in Construction program funds be used for?
Funds can be used to deliver eligible activities and for project-specific costs. This includes, but is not limited to:
- networking/workshop activities
- promotional and marketing activities
- professional development fees
- wages and on-costs for project staff
- administration and operating costs
- purchase of materials and PPE
- facilities hire
Organisations must submit a project budget as part of their application, clearly outlining how funding will be used for project-related costs.
Any third-party contributions must also be detailed in the application to ensure all funding, resources and in-kind support are fully considered.
What costs cannot be covered by Supporting Women in Construction program funding?
Successful applicants cannot use project funds for:
- the purchase of assets, fittings or capital equipment
- nationally recognised training
- event sponsorship and partnerships
- training or conferences for staff
- non-project related travel for staff
- programs or services that can be, or already are, funded through CSQ’s core programs and services
- programs or services that can be, or already are, funded by government or other funding bodies.
- projects that won’t specifically benefit women working or seeking to work in the building and construction industry in Queensland.
- any business costs not project-related
Will there be further Supporting Women in Construction program application rounds?
At this stage, there is no plan for a second application round. With strong interest in the program expected, it is anticipated that the 2026-27 application round will be highly competitive and over-subscribed.
In this case, an order of merit may be established to support additional projects across the three-year program period, subject to the level of quality applications received and funding availability.
To be eligible to receive funding, applicants must meet one of the following criteria:
- Be a construction industry association; or
- A not-for-profit organisation or charity supporting women in construction; or
- A for-profit organisation supporting women in construction
To be eligible for funding, applicants must also have a Queensland base and connections to the construction industry.
Ineligible organisations include:
- Apprentice Connect Australia providers
- Workforce Australia providers
- Federal, state and local government agencies
- Statutory authorities and government-owned corporations
What is the application process?
Supporting Women in Construction applications will be considered as part of a single competitive application round in 2026-27 that will support funding allocations over the three-year program period.
The application round opens on Monday 3 August 2026 and will be open for eight weeks.
Applications must be submitted to [email protected] by close of business Friday 25 September 2026. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
The Supporting Women in Construction Application Form can be found on CSQ’s website at Supporting Women in Construction.
Applications will be assessed by CSQ in two stages.
Stage one – CSQ will undertake an initial assessment of applications against the ‘Capacity to Manage’ criteria to ensure compliance with the objectives and eligibility requirements of the program.
Applications that do not ‘meet’ this initial assessment will be considered ineligible to proceed.
Stage two – all eligible applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
- Industry Need
- Strategies to Assist Participants
- Outcomes
- Value for Money
On finalisation of the application assessment and approval process CSQ will notify applicants of the outcome of their application.
CSQ will publish a list of successful applicants at Supporting Women in Construction
Funded projects will engage and support Queensland-based women already working in construction and women interested in exploring career pathways into construction.
More specifically, to be eligible to participate in Supporting Women in Construction projects, women must be:
- an Australian or New Zealand Citizen or Permanent Resident; or an individual that has the right to work in Australia; or has a Valid Visa prescribed by CSQ
- a permanent resident of Queensland
- employed in the Queensland Building and Construction Industry or interested in a construction career (eg. graduates, career seekers, career changers, women returning to the workforce).
CSQ recognises that female senior school students interested in exploring a career in construction may be interested in participating in specific SWIC project activities.
The Supporting Women in Construction Grants Program is designed to complement CSQ’s existing programs and initiatives, and our Construction Pathways initiative is the primary approach for CSQ to engage with school students through our partners.
As a result, it is anticipated that projects that seek to exclusively target female school students will not be prioritised for funding under this program.
CSQ will consider female senior student participation on a case-by-case basis to ensure alignment with the objectives of the approved SWIC project and to ensure there is no duplication with Construction Pathways activity.
SWIC projects will focus on one or more of the following eligible activity streams:
- Promote construction careers – raise awareness, shift perceptions and highlight the value of a construction career for women
- Support industry-led gender equity and inclusion – deliver initiatives aimed at improving culture, safety and equity across construction workplaces
- Provide professional development – offer opportunities that support women working in construction to grow and progress in their careers
- Build networks and connections – engage women working in construction to support retention
Examples of activities that may be supported are provided in the SWIC Guidelines for Funding.
As noted under Eligible Applicants in the Guidelines for Funding, schools are not targeted under the program, but CSQ acknowledges that schools may form part of a project’s network.
CSQ works closely with a broad range of schools through its Construction Pathways initiative, providing students and teachers with valuable information, experiences and opportunities to build awareness of careers in the construction industry.
The Supporting Women in Construction Grants Program is designed to complement CSQ’s existing programs and initiatives. Therefore, to avoid duplication with activities already delivered through Construction Pathways, applications submitted by schools are expected to be assessed as ineligible or not prioritised for funding under this program.
RTOs that meet the ‘Eligible Applicants’ criteria outlined in the SWIC Guidelines for Funding are eligible to apply for funding.
However, RTOs need to ensure that activities proposed for delivery align with the eligible activity streams outlined in the program guidelines, which does not include the delivery of accredited training.
The Supporting Women in Construction Grants Program is designed to complement CSQ’s existing programs and initiatives. Therefore qualifications, short courses and micro-credentials are not priorities for funding under this program, as noted under Ineligible Activities in the Guidelines for Funding.
CSQ conducts an Expression of Interest (EOI) process annually for additional CSQ training delivery partners, following completion of our annual procurement cycle.
Each year we review statewide training delivery to identify any gaps not fully met through our contracted supplier network. Where gaps are identified, CSQ may invite applications from new RTOs to ensure industry skill needs continue to be met across Queensland.
Information about future opportunities will be published on CSQ’s website from October 2026 – see https://www.csq.org.au/csq-procurement-2025/
Eligible organisations can apply for funding between $50,000 to $500,000 per year, with successful applicants funded for up to 12 months initially.
The level of funding awarded for each project will be dependent on activities to be delivered, project reach and the level of specialist support to be provided.
Successful applicants may also be approved annual funding for a further two years, subject to first-year performance and ongoing funding availability.
No, organisations may only submit one application in the 2026-27 funding round (with up to four streams of activity). This is to ensure CSQ supports a diverse range of partnerships and projects throughout Queensland.
Funds can be used to deliver eligible activities and for project-specific costs. This includes, but is not limited to:
- networking/workshop activities
- promotional and marketing activities
- professional development fees
- wages and on-costs for project staff
- administration and operating costs
- purchase of materials and PPE
- facilities hire
Organisations must submit a project budget as part of their application, clearly outlining how funding will be used for project-related costs.
Any third-party contributions must also be detailed in the application to ensure all funding, resources and in-kind support are fully considered.
Successful applicants cannot use project funds for:
- the purchase of assets, fittings or capital equipment
- nationally recognised training
- event sponsorship and partnerships
- training or conferences for staff
- non-project related travel for staff
- programs or services that can be, or already are, funded through CSQ’s core programs and services
- programs or services that can be, or already are, funded by government or other funding bodies.
- projects that won’t specifically benefit women working or seeking to work in the building and construction industry in Queensland.
- any business costs not project-related
At this stage, there is no plan for a second application round. With strong interest in the program expected, it is anticipated that the 2026-27 application round will be highly competitive and over-subscribed.
In this case, an order of merit may be established to support additional projects across the three-year program period, subject to the level of quality applications received and funding availability.