An Australian period care company has called on governments to prioritise locally owned companies in their tender processes, after the business says it was overlooked for a Victorian initiative that provides free pads and tampons in vending machines across the state.
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Victorian-based Femmé Organic was founded in 2021 by siblings Anabelle and Thomas Burns, who bootstrapped the business with $15,000. The business applied for the Victorian Government’s Free Pads and Tampons in Public Places initiative in 2025.
While Femmé Organic made it to the top three providers, Victorian women-led experiential tech agency Affinity Outdoor was chosen as the prime contractor responsible for delivering the Free Pads and Tampons in Public Places program statewide.
Affinity Outdoor partnered with American multinational corporation Kimberley-Clark’s U by Kotex as the consumables contractor, with U by Kotex supplying the pads and tampons for the network.
Since November 2024, the Victorian Government has been providing free pads and tampons in vending machines located in public places across the state to ease cost-of-living pressures and increase access to essential period products for those who need them.
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According to Queensland non-profit organisation Share The Dignity’s Bloody Big Survey 2024, 64% of menstruators have struggled to afford period products due to cost.
Femmé Organic passionate about improving period-care industry
The Femmé Organic founders say they submitted a tender offering 100% certified organic, plastic-free and fully biodegradable pads and tampons that met all mandatory requirements and exceeded multiple sustainability criteria.
Anabelle told SmartCompany she thinks it’s fantastic the government chose an Australian and woman-founded business for the delivery aspect of the initiative, and that’s something they really support.
“At the same time, I do feel the program fell a little short in not prioritising Australian-owned businesses to supply the period-care products themselves,” she says.
“It was a great opportunity to involve companies like ours, or other Australian and female-founded period-care brands, and I think that’s where the initiative may have missed the mark.”
Anabelle says, moving forward, she would love to see tender processes place a stronger emphasis on prioritising locally owned companies.
“That approach would help support our local economy and small businesses,” she says.
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A Department of Families Fairness and Housing spokesperson told SmartCompany Affinity Outdoor was selected as the preferred supplier for the program “after a thorough evaluation, including supplier interview and prototype demonstrations”.
“The project meets the requirements of 85% local content, in accordance with the local jobs first policy,” the spokesperson said.
Anabelle says around 90% of the period-care aisle in Australia is dominated by multinational companies owned overseas.
“While our products are also manufactured abroad, that’s largely because there are currently no certified organic cotton farms in Australia,” she says.
However, Anabelle added being Australian-owned and family-run is something they believe should carry weight in opportunities like this.
“Looking ahead, it would be amazing to see the government work towards supporting the development of organic cotton farming in Australia, which could create jobs, strengthen the local economy, and contribute to a more sustainable future for the industry,” she says.
Through the Victorian Government’s Free Pads and Tampons in Public Places program, more than 900 machines have been installed across the state so far, providing more than 495,000 free period products to Victorians.
The government is working towards installing up to 1,500 machines in up to 700 venues across the state this year.
Affinity Outdoor says products meet high standards
Affinity Outdoor founder and managing director Michelle Davis, who originally founded the business in 2007 and rebranded in 2018, told SmartCompany as the prime contractor responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the program, the business manages the broader implementation and operational framework.
“This includes planning and installing machines across metropolitan and regional sites, coordinating venue engagement, overseeing statewide logistics and replenishment of products, maintaining accessibility compliance, and monitoring performance across the network,” she says.
Davis added as prime contractor, Affinity Outdoor does not manufacture the products and defers to Kimberly-Clark as the product expert for detailed composition information.
“For this program, U by Kotex supplies tampons manufactured in the Czech Republic and pads manufactured in Vietnam. Strict global quality standards apply to all products and manufacturing sites, ensuring consistent safety and performance,” Davis says.
“All products are made in compliance with an extensive Restricted Substances List, which exceeds local regulatory requirements. Tampon products meet all Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) requirements for sale in Australia, are certified to AS 2869:2022, and meet or exceed recognised international standards such as ISO.”
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Once in Australia, the products are repacked by Nadrasca, a Victorian social enterprise providing supported employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This supports inclusive local employment as part of the program’s broader social impact.
Share The Dignity says access to period products is not a luxury – it’s a basic health need
National charity Share The Dignity, which was founded in 2015 by Rochelle Courtenay to end period poverty in Australia, has also vowed to keep installing its Dignity Vending Machines to empower and support people to live a life of dignity and provide immediate access in a crisis.
Share The Dignity installed its first free Dignity Vending Machine in December 2016 and today has a national network of more than 1,165 vending machines across Australia.
The vending machines are located in every state and territory, primarily in public hospitals, community centres, homeless shelters, schools, domestic violence refuges, council facilities and public toilets.
Each machine dispenses two free pads and six free tampons per person per access.
To date, the Dignity Vending Machines have dispensed over one million period packs nationally and, since its founding in 2015, havs donated over 5.8 million packets of period products to women, girls and people who menstruate experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and financial hardship.
Courtenay says the Dignity Vending Machine initiative exists because period poverty is real, even in a country like Australia.
“For many, choosing between food and period products is not hypothetical. It’s daily life,” she says.
