Indigenous Business Australia opened applications on Monday for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander female-led Social Enterprises to secure a partnership under the Social Enterprise Grant.

The partnerships will support First Nations female entrepreneurs to innovate and create economic security in their communities.

With support from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Indigenous Business Australia will deliver $2.7 million of grant funding in 2023 through partnerships with Australian Social Enterprises who are, or work with First Nations women in business.

The goal is "to support the economic empowerment of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander women, girls and sistergirls".

Opportunities for the grant include business focused programs, building networks, employment readiness or workplace coaching to increase economic empowerment.

Indigenous Business Australia Director of Community and Customer Experience Stella de Cos, a Southern Arrernte woman, said the grant program will drive "positive change for our women around the country".

"This partnership brings an amazing opportunity for First Nations female entrepreneurs and female-led community organisations to continue to innovate and solve economic issues facing First Nations women and their communities," she said.

"Women are the strongest pillars of many of our First Nations communities. Empowering them builds opportunities to continue the positive impact and change they drive.

"I encourage our First Nations women in business who feel this grant could make a difference to their communities, and improve the economic security of First Nations women, to go to the IBA website and find out more."

The grant can also be accessed to support economic security initiatives such as financial wellbeing and planning, and selfcare initiatives that support First Nations women to continue to be financially secure while managing family and community obligations.

The grant may be used for establishing systems that support the delivery of programs, and for the training of First Nations staff in partnering enterprises.

Applications for the grants, an initiative of the Early-Stage Social Enterprise Foundation announced in the Women's Economic Security Package of the 2021-22 federal budget, open Monday 16 January and will close 30 August 2023, unless funds are exhausted earlier.

More information and online grant applications are available here.