STARTUP
SPRINGBOARD 2026
The launchpad for your business journey.
APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE
WHO APPLIED
Start strong, backed by the right expertise.
Startup Springboard is a six-month business launch program created for early-stage businesses in the NSW Southern Highlands.
An initiative of The Office Bowral, the program brings together expert mentoring, hands-on business support, an All-Access coworking membership and more than $25,000 in professional services – all designed to help one emerging local business launch, build strong foundations and move forward with confidence.
You bring the idea and the drive. We’ll bring the people, expertise and support to help you build what’s next.
“Great businesses don’t grow in isolation. When we put the right people, expertise and connections around an emerging business, we give it a stronger chance to thrive.”
Startup Springboard in a nutshell
Who is it for?
Startup Springboard is for people starting or building an early-stage business in the NSW Southern Highlands.
You might have an idea you’re ready to turn into something real, or a young business that’s ready for stronger foundations, greater clarity and its next stage of growth.
The program is designed for an individual founder or part of a small founding partnership who is ready to make the most of the program, the mentoring and the connections it provides.
What do you get?
Six Months of Support. A Lifetime of Impact.
Startup Springboard brings together the practical support, expertise and connections needed to help an emerging businss launch and move forward.
- Expert mentoring: real conversations with people who’ve actually built what you’re trying to build.
- Practical support: legal, financial, marketing, coaching and creative services you’d otherwise have to budget for.
- Real connections: not just contacts. Proper introductions, made at the right time.
- Real momentum: structure and accountability across six months, not a one-off boost.
- Space to grow: a six-month All-Access coworking membership at The Office Bowral.
This significant support is valued at more than $25,000 – but the real value is in the people, expertise and connection behind it.
Why we do this
At The Office Bowral, we see every day what can happen when people share their expertise, make connections and genuinely back one another.
Startup Springboard grew from a desire to extend that same spirit of support to one emerging Southern Highlands business each year – bringing together the expertise of our local business community to give them access to the people, guidance and practical support that can make a real difference.
It’s about backing local business, sharing what we know and creating an opportunity for someone to discover what their business could become with the right support behind them.
When does it happen?
- Applications open: Thursday 27 August 2026
- Applications close: 5pm, Thursday 8 October 2026
- Judging: 12-15 October 2026
- Recipient announced: Tuesday 20 October 2026 (during NSW Small Business Month)
- Program begins: November 2026 – recipient and mentor introductions kick off, on dates agreed with the recipient.
Meet the people behind Startup Springboard 2026
This is who’s in your corner – experienced local mentors and partners from across the Southern Highlands, bringing their expertise, time and practical support to this year’s recipieint.
Juliet Brady
The Office Bowral
As the initiator of the Startup Springboard program, Juliet believes a thriving Southern Highlands needs a thriving small business community. She created the program to give people starting and building businesses locally access to the expertise, connections and practical support that can make such a difference in those critical early stages. For Juliet, it’s about backing local people and good ideas, helping businesses put down strong roots, and contributing to a stronger, more connected local economy.
PROGRAM FOUNDER In-kind Contribution
Six-month All-Access Membership at The Office Bowral, giving the Startup Springboard recipient a professional home base to work, connect and build their business throughout the program.
This includes:
- 24/7 access to The Office Bowral
- A permanently allocated desk and workspace
- Access to meeting spaces for client calls, collaboration and mentoring sessions
- Printing, scanning, high-speed internet and office essentials
- Access to member events, workshops and networking opportunities
- Connection to The Office Bowral community of local professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners
Estimated $3,800
Clarissa Follan
Our Lawyers
Our Lawyers is a proudly local law firm with a team of experienced lawyers and three Accredited Specialists across Family Law, Wills & Estates and Business Law. We’re passionate about providing trusted, expert legal advice while supporting the local businesses, families and communities that make our region such a great place to live and work.
MENTOR In-kind Contribution
- A 60-minute Legal Strategy Session tailored to the winner’s business model and goals
- Up to 4 additional sessions (60 minutes per session) spread across the 6-month sponsorship period (no more than 1 session per month)
Estimated $2,750
Kate Taylor & Emma Taylor
Taylor Collaborative
Transformational Coaching and Counselling that propels you towards growth and action.
At Taylor Collaborative we help people and teams progress from overwhelm to clarity, from uncertainty to confident action.
We draw on decades of Leadership, Coaching and Counselling expertise to design a plan that fits you: practical, evidence informed and designed to create change that lasts.
MENTOR In-kind Contribution
- A one-hour discovery session to listen carefully to understand your goals, challenges and what progress might look like
- Create a bespoke plan for moving forward
- 4 x one-hour check-in sessions to support agreed plan and progress
Estimated $1,800
Jillian Brandon
Manifest Website Design
For this initiative, we will dig into your business, your goals, and where you want to go — then craft a custom ‘digital game plan’ to help you get there. From sharpening your SEO to coaching you on setting up a steady lead pipeline, we’ll help you turn traffic into traction and goals into growth.
MENTOR In-kind Contribution
- Create a Digital Roadmap
- SEO implementation
- Lead generation strategy and implementation
- Sales process set up
- Automation and AI implementation
Estimated $5,500
Piers Shumack
Mint Home Loans
Piers is the founder of Mint Home Loans, a values-driven mortgage and finance brokerage based right here in the Southern Highlands.
As part of Startup Springboard, Piers offers invaluable support to the winner by demystifying the world of loan finance and ensuring their funding structures set them up for sustainable success. Piers brings clarity, care, and decades of experience to the table. Simply put, he’s the kind of expert you want in your corner when you’re building something that matters.
MENTOR In-kind Contribution
- 3 x 1-hour strategy sessions to develop and formalise a tailored 5-year financial and lending roadmap. We’ll cover loan structuring, borrowing capacity, growth planning, and how to position yourself for future finance opportunities.
Estimated $1,700
Lani Fouche
The Story Shed
Lani is an experienced storyteller with modern digital know-how. Drawing on her background in journalism, publishing and content strategy, she helps small businesses uncover what makes them memorable, then turns that story into a clear, beautiful brand that connects with the right people.
MENTOR In-kind Contribution
- Brand discovery and strategy: An in-depth discovery session followed by the creation of a tailored Brand Document. This becomes the strategic backbone for everything that follows. It defines your purpose, audience, values, UVP, key messages and messaging framework, alongside your visual brand direction including mood, colours, fonts, logo direction (if required) and brand application.
- Brand-to-market support: Three in-person strategy sessions, spaced as needed, to help you confidently apply your new brand and messaging across your website, social media and other marketing collateral.
- Website content mapping: If required, Lani will map out the structure and content your website needs: what to say, where to say it and how it all fits together. (Content writing not included.)
Estimated $4,800
Shelly Willingham
Headshot Collective
Shelly brings a creative and strategic eye to helping businesses shape how they show up in the world. Through Headshot Collective, she’ll support the Startup Springboard recipient to develop a strong, considered visual presence — helping turn their business story and ideas into creative that feels distinctive, cohesive and ready to take to market.
MENTOR In-kind Contribution
- Mini brand session
- 20-minute studio session
- Up to 20 professional brand images
Estimated value $400
Peter Hassos
Aura Partners
Peter brings more than 25 years of practical accounting and business advisory experience, helping businesses build strong financial foundations and make informed decisions as they grow. Through Aura Partners, he works with business owners across accounting, tax, business structure and strategic planning — bringing practical, tailored advice to every stage of the business journey.
Through Startup Springboard, Peter will help the recipient build strong financial foundations from the outset, with practical guidance around cashflow, bookkeeping, tax and business structure — and a clearer understanding of the numbers behind their business.
MENTOR In-kind Contribution
- Financial Health Check and Strategy Session
- Up to three additional mentoring sessions
- Guidance across bookkeeping, cashflow forecasting, tax, business structure and EOFY readiness
Estimated value $5,500
Sacha Wark-de Boer
Opal & Oak
As the inaugural Startup Springboard recipient, Sacha knows first-hand what it’s like to take an emerging business through the program – and what can come from making the most of the people, expertise and opportunities around you.
Since joining Startup Springboard in 2025, Sacha has continued to build Opal & Oak into a growing Southern Highlands interior design studio, bringing her distinctive approach to real projects and establishing a strong presence in the local design community.
PROGRAM AMBASSADOR In-kind Contribution
As our 2026 Program Ambassador, Sacha will be a sounding board for this year’s recipient — sharing what she learnt, helping them settle into the program and navigate the six months ahead, and encouraging them to make the most of the support and connections available along the way.
Emma Stupar, Editor
The Fold Southern Highlands
Founded in November 2017, The Fold is a digital lifestyle publisher that’s proudly obsessed with the Southern Highlands.
Our mission is simple but powerful: to champion local and support small businesses by creating amazing content that people love to read, watch, and share.
We believe that when local businesses thrive, the whole community benefits. That’s why we’ve joined Startup Springboard as a proud partner, to help shine a spotlight on the incredible entrepreneurial talent in our region.
PROGRAM PARTNER In-kind Contribution
-
12-month Featured Business Listing on The Fold Southern Highlands website for the Startup Springboard recipient
-
8 social media posts and e-news features supporting the Startup Springboard campaign – from applications and recipient announcement through to the recipient’s six-month journey
-
A dedicated editorial feature recapping the recipient’s Startup Springboard journey at the completion of the program
Estimated value $2,950
Peter Burnheim, Director
Business Southern Highlands
Business Southern Highlands’ mission is to accelerate business success across the region, working towards our vision to make the Southern Highlands the most dynamic and prosperous regional business community in Australia.
PROGRAM PARTNER In-kind Contribution
- Annual Membership to Business Southern Highlands
-
Personalised chamber on-boarding session to enable the recipient to understand and get the most out of their membership.
Estimated value $150
Ready to apply?
IS STARTUP SPRINGBOARD RIGHT FOR YOU?
To be eligible for Startup Springboard 2026, applicants must be:
- Based in the NSW Southern Highlands
- Launching or actively building an early-stage business, generally within its first 24 months of operation
- 18 years or older
- Applying as an individual founder or as part of a small founding partnership
- Motivated, proactive and ready to make the most of the program
- Willing to regularly work from The Office Bowral throughout the program
- Comfortable sharing their journey through photography, PR, social media and broader communications to help tell the Startup Springboard story
This may include someone preparing to launch, testing their offer, building their first customer base or establishing the foundations of a recently launched business.
Startup Springboard is not intended for established businesses seeking support for their next stage of growth.
HOW TO APPLY
Ready to take the next step?
Your application has two components – a written application and a short video pitch.
1 – YOUR WRITTEN APPLICATION
Complete our online application and tell us about you, your business, where you’re headed and what you hope to get out of Startup Springboard.
The application takes around 15–20 minutes to complete, and you can save your progress and come back to it if you need to.
2 – YOUR VIDEO PITCH
As part of the application, you’ll also be asked to provide a link to a short video pitch of up to 2 minutes.
This is your opportunity to go beyond your written answers and tell us anything else you think is important for us to know.
It doesn’t need to be polished or professionally produced – a simple face-to-camera video is perfect. We just want to hear from you. You don’t need to have everything figured out – that’s what Startup Springboard is here to help with.