Economic Opportunity and Advancement

Cost saving tips

• Savings Finder—The NSW Government is helping reduce the cost of living with more than 70 rebates and vouchers available. By answering the tailored questions in our Service NSW Savings Finder tool, we can help you to find rebates and vouchers relevant to you.
• Cost of Living Hub—The Cost of Living hub is here to help you make the most of your money with tips and tools, easy ways to stretch your budget, and access to trusted advice and support backed by the NSW Government.
• Service NSW Mobile Centres—Mobile centres offer similar services to physical sites. Check the location finder to find out when the Mobile Centre will be next near you.
• Get Moneysmart - Expert help and advice on making financial decisions.
• Moneysmart - Saving and debt resource for young people.

Managing finances

• Women NSW Financial Toolkit—Explore online resources, toolkits and advice to assist women with a range of support services on managing everyday finances, dealing with unexpected life events, and financial planning for future wellbeing.
• Financial Counselling—Financial counselling is a free and confidential service offered by not-for-profit community organisations. If you feel overwhelmed by debt, contact a financial counsellor as soon as possible. If you get help early, you will have many more options.
• Rural Financial Counselling Service—Free, independent and confidential assistance to help eligible farmers and small rural related businesses with current and long-term financial planning.
• Savers Plus—Savers Plus is a 10 month financial education and matched savings program that assists families to gain financial skills, establish a savings goal and develop long term savings habits.

Reducing travel costs

• FuelCheck—FuelCheck is an online tool providing consumers with real-time fuel price information covering every service station across NSW.

Financial support

• Brotherhood of St Laurence—A social justice organisation that works to prevent and alleviate poverty across Australia, with numerous programs and services. 
• Energy Accounts Payment Assistance—If you're having difficulty paying your current household energy bill because of a short-term financial crisis or emergency, such as unexpected medical bills, or reduced income due to COVID-19, you could be eligible for Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) $50 vouchers.
• Good Shepherd—Microfinance loans and insurance for people on low incomes.

Renting and emergency accommodation

• Emergency Accommodation—This is a guide for people who are at risk of becoming, or who are, homeless, as well as for people needing temporary crisis accommodation in an emergency.
• Renting a place to live—What you need to know about renting a home. Check the latest rental prices in an area, resolve disputes with your agent or landlord, and find private rental assistance and subsidies.
• Aboriginal Housing—Aboriginal housing is managed by the Department of Communities and Justice or community housing providers, including Aboriginal community housing providers.
• Social housing and private rental assistance—Check your eligibility for social housing or private rental assistance and find a housing office near you. 

Strata, housing and construction

• Housing and Construction—Information on housing and construction such as building and renovating a home or buying and selling a home.
• Strata—Advice for living in, or buying into, a strata community.

Aged care and home living assistance

• Aged care, home living assistance and retirement villages—Find out if you are eligible for an Australian Government home care subsidy to help you continue living in your own home, information about moving to an aged care home or retirement village.

Home safety

• Safety in the home—Tips and information on staying safe at home, including fire safety, pool safety, preventing injuries and falls, and being prepared for emergencies.

Vouchers

• Active Kids Vouchers—The Active Kids program provides a $50 voucher for parents, guardians and carers of school-enrolled children to use towards sport and active recreation costs each year.
• Creative Kids Voucher—The NSW Government is helping kids get creative with the new Creative Kids program. Parents, guardians and carers can apply for a $50 voucher for each school-enrolled child aged 4.5 to 18 years.
• First Lap Learn to Swim Voucher—From 1 July 2023, parents, guardians and carers of children aged 3 to 6 years who are not enrolled in school, can apply for a $50 voucher towards the cost of swimming lessons. 

Opportunities for regional youth

• Holiday Fun for Regional Youth—The Office for Regional Youth’s Holiday Break program provides young people in regional NSW with the opportunity to enjoy a range of free activities to connect, socialise, learn new skills and have fun during the school holidays. 
• Scholarships and Allowances for Rural Students—A range of allowances and scholarships are available for students in rural and remote locations who live away from the family home to attend school.

Career advice and support

• Careers NSW—A free service that provides NSW residents with access to high quality, personalised careers guidance and resources.
• Jobactive—Help with your job search. To talk to someone, call the Employment Services Information Line on 13 62 68.
• Career Transition Assistance—For people aged 45 and older to help you build skills and confidence to be more competitive in your local job market.
• Job access for people with disability—Assistance available including help finding work, changing jobs, accessing DES providers and workplace modifications to help you find and maintain employment. Call 1800 464 800.

Resources

• Return to Work Toolkit—The Return to Work Toolkit brings together a range of trusted online resources to help women find reliable information on entering or re-entering the workforce, upskilling or starting a business.
• Getting your first job—Information about how to be job-ready, learning new skills, looking for work and what to do when you've been made an offer.
• Changing careers—Information about different career paths, training options and how to get financial support.
• Plan your career journey— Help with identifying your interests and skills, and information on types of jobs, education and training.
• Pay and Work Conditions Tool—Calculate pay rates, shift calculations, annual and sick leave, notice and redundancy entitlements.
• Negotiate your salary package— Once you have been offered the job, you may have to negotiate your package.
• Negotiate your salary—How to ask for a pay rise.
• Dress for Success—Assistance with work clothes.
• Young Workers eToolkit - Access a range of resources that have been specifically developed to support young workers’ safety.
• Successful Futures Portal - The Successful Futures Portal is an initiative of COMPACT Incorporated, which aims to assist young people to get a start in their desired career.

Documents, drivers license and taxation

• Prove your identity—Documents you may need to confirm your identity.
• Birth certificate information—Information on how to apply, proof of identity, fees and processing times.
• Driver and rider licences—Information on getting, renewing or replacing a driver or riders licence in NSW.
• Driver’s licence support—Driver’s licence assistance for disadvantaged Aboriginal people and other disadvantaged communities.
• Information about taxation—Australian Taxation Office help and advice.

Find employment opportunities

• I work for NSW —Find jobs within the NSW public service.
• WORK180—Find jobs specifically for women.
• Pointer Remote —Find remote roles from agile employers.
• Move to More —Find roles within regional Australia.

Training and scholarships

• Future Women Rural Scholarship Program—The NSW Rural Scholarship connects women from regional, remote and rural communities to a large, like-minded network that helps fast-track professional goals.
• Subsidised or fee-free short courses—TAFE NSW provides a range of government subsidised programs, available for eligible residents to access fee-free^* or low-cost training.
• TAFE Primary Industries Centre—VET course for students interested in kick starting their career in the Agriculture or Horticulture industries.
• SALT - Supporting and Linking Tradeswomen (SALT) seek to change attitudes around women in the trades by providing mentoring, support and a network for tradeswomen, apprentices and women wanting to enter a trade.

Resources

• Return to Work Toolkit—The Return to Work Toolkit brings together a range of trusted online resources to help women find reliable information on entering or re-entering the workforce, upskilling or starting a business.
• Help if you lose your job—Find support, finding work, understanding your rights, and getting help with costs.

Financial support 

• JobSeeker Payment—Financial support may be available to you.
• Youth Allowance for job seekers—If you're aged under 21 and looking for work, or temporarily unable to work, financial support may be available.

• Return to Work Toolkit—The Return to Work Toolkit brings together a range of trusted online resources to help women find reliable information on entering or re-entering the workforce, upskilling or starting a business.
• Returning to work after a career break or parental leave—information about getting ready to go back to work, organising childcare, looking for work and negotiating flexible work.
• Plan your career journey—Help with identifying your interests and skills, and information on types of jobs, education and training.

• Retirement and other support—Find out about concessions available to seniors, how to apply for the Age Pension, and get help with decisions about your future legal, health and financial needs.
• Retirement years—Help and payments for when you retire. Information about planning for retirement. What to do if you decide to keep working past Age Pension age.

How to get started

• Support for businesses—Support options and government requirements to start or grow a business in NSW.
• Business Planning—Business structures/types, business plans, intellectual property, industry information, and a step by step guide to starting a business.
• Register your business—How to get an Australian Business Number (ABN) for your business.
• Council help for home businesses—Information on requirements, where to go for support, and a helpful guide for getting started.
• Business and trade licences—Information to help you run your business and be a licensed tradesperson.
• Workplace health and safety—The basics for getting started on making your workplace safe.
• Business Toolkit for Indigenous Women—Aims to inform and inspire Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in their aspirations to be successful businesswomen.

Training opportunities

• Women in Business—Women in Business is a NSW Government and TAFE NSW initiative that offers a fully subsidised* online program for women who are looking to establish a micro business, a small business, or who are already operating a business.
• Young Farmers Business Program—Opportunities for women in rural and remote NSW to help improve their business skills.

Grants and funding 

• Agrifutures Rural Women's Acceleration Grants—A learning and development bursary to help bring an idea, cause or vision to life.
• Create NSW—Provides grants, funding and support for arts and cultural organisations, professional artists and arts and cultural workers across metro and regional NSW.
• South West Arts Funding—Funding for people in the arts.

Support to grow

• Business Concierge—The Business Concierge service gives free, personalised guidance to help women business owners at every stage of the business journey.
• Business Connect—Get independent business advice, practical insights and business skills training on a range of topics for your small business.
• Business Connect Online Resources—Free business resources and practical tips all in one place, from webinars and podcasts to videos and quick reads to help you with your business journey.
• Business Connect Events—Attend in-person and online events and workshops to develop your business skills and connect with other business owners.
• Business Connect Advisors—Get free confidential business advice from an advisor there are also multicultural advisors available who can provide support in multiple languages.
• Business Resources—Resources to support women in business.
• NSW Small Business Commission—The NSW Small Business Commissioner offers a cost-effective and confidential mediation service to help solve business or commercial disputes such as lease, licence or contract disagreements.

Business Resilience

• Resilient Ready—Delivering solutions for organisations to thrive before, during and after disasters by supporting businesses to self-identify gaps and opportunities in organisational resilience and community resilience.

Training and networking 

• Women in Business—Women in Business is a NSW Government and TAFE NSW initiative that offers a fully subsidised* online program for women who are looking to establish a micro business, a small business, or who are already operating a business.
• Networking and Mentoring—Networking and mentoring support for women in business.

Grants and funding

• Grants and Funding—Grants and funding support for women in business.
• Future Women Rural Scholarship Program—The NSW Rural Scholarship connects women from regional, remote and rural communities to a large, like-minded network that helps fast-track professional goals.

• Women NSW Grants and Funding—Women NSW provides grants and funding for a range of programs to support women and girls across NSW.
• NSW Government Grants and Funding—Find a government initiative, grant or funding program to help support your business, your project or your community.
• GrantConnect—GrantConnect provides centralised publication of forecast and current Australian Government grant opportunities and grants awarded.

Services

• LawAccess NSW—Provides free legal assistance for people who have a legal problem in NSW. Call LawAccess NSW on 1300 888 529 Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm (excluding public holidays) for legal help or visit the website for chat services.
• Legal Aid— Provides a range of legal services to disadvantaged people, and representation in some cases to those who cannot afford a private lawyer. 
• Aboriginal Legal Service—Provides a range of legal services to Aboriginal people in NSW and ACT.
• Community Legal Centres—Find a Community Legal Centre in your area. Community Legal Centres are independent non-government organisations that provide free legal help to people and communities, at time when help is needed most.
• Youth Law Australia—Providing free, confidential legal information & help for young people under 25.
• Arts Law—Provide free or low cost specialised legal advice, education and resources to Australian artists and arts organisations across all art forms, on a wide range of arts related legal and business matters.

Resources

• Willow (Women's Legal on the Go)—Willow is a free legal information project by Women’s Legal Service NSW.

• Scamwatch—Find out about types of scams and report scams.
• eSafety Commissioner—Resources, support and webinars on online safety.
• IDCare —IDCARE connects the community to our expert Identity & Cyber Security Case Managers who listen and provide the best advice on how to respond to data breaches, scams, identity theft, and cyber security concerns.
• Tech Savvy Seniors—Tech Savvy Seniors program helps you build the skills and confidence to use computers, tablets and smartphones.
• Fair Trading NSW—NSW Fair Trading is responsible for the administration of consumer protection laws in NSW. Scams can be reported to Fair Trading NSW.
• Dark patterns —This page describes common dark patterns consumers will encounter online, so you can identify and avoid them when shopping online.

• ACCC—Australia's national competition, consumer, fair trading and product safety regulator.
• Fair Trading NSW—NSW Fair Trading is responsible for the administration of consumer protection laws in NSW.
• Food Authority NSW—Information on food recalls across NSW.
• Product Safety —Information on safety recalls across Australia.

• Justice Connect Get ePrepared - Learn how to store electronic copies of your important documents, in case you need them in an emergency.

• Stay up to date with the latest COVID-19 information. 
• Moneysmart's COVID-19 support—Learn more about looking after your finances during the pandemic. 

• Bushfire customer care service—The Service NSW team has specialists to help you every step of the way. Call 13 77 88.
• NSW Rural Fire Service—The lead combat agency for bushfires in NSW.
• Fire and Rescue NSW—FRNSW helps the provision of fire, rescue and hazmat services in cities and towns across NSW. 

• DroughtHub—Find out more about financial assistance, wellbeing services and other resources. Call 1800 678 593. 
• Rural Aid—Provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and fodder assistance. 
• Farm Relief Tool—Connects farmers with Australian Government financial assistance and community support to help prepare for, and recover from drought, natural disaster or biosecurity events. 

• Flood assistance—Disaster payments, grants and financial assistance for people living in areas affected by severe storms and floods in NSW. Call 13 77 88.
• Storm and flood assistance for businesses—Disaster recovery assistance is available to businesses in eligible NSW local government areas that have been impacted by storms and floods.
• SES—The lead agency for floods, storms and tsunami in NSW. Call 132 500.

Support and advice

• Get Ready NSW—Be prepared for natural disasters with apps to download, tips on making your emergency plan and emergency kit. Stay up to date with alerts and warnings.
• Farm Relief Tool—Connects farmers with Australian Government financial assistance and community support to help prepare for, and recover from drought, natural disaster or biosecurity events. 
• Agricultural and Animal Services Hotline—Advice on emergency fodder, emergency water, livestock or domestic animal assessment. Call 1800 814 647.
• Rural Aid—Provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and fodder assistance. 

Disaster assistance

• National Emergency Management Agency—Australian government executive agency to help those affected by natural disasters, including droughts, bushfires and floods.
• Reconstruction Authority—Helping communities rebuild and recover after natural disasters including floods, droughts and bushfires.
• Disaster Assistance—Find out about natural disaster assistance for communities and individuals directly affected by flood, fire, storm damage or any other declared natural disaster.
• Disaster Recovery Payment—You may be eligible for a disaster recovery payment.

Support for businesses

• Resilient Ready—Delivering solutions for organisations to thrive before, during and after disasters by supporting businesses to self-identify gaps and opportunities in organisational resilience and community resilience.

• Emergency Relief—If you are facing a financial crisis, get help from a provider near you.
• Link2Home emergency housing—Support services if you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Call 1800 152 152.
• Ask Izzy— Find a range of local support services near you.