Whether it’s new technology to help domestic violence victims during a crisis or an innovative way to provide scalable health care for Australia’s ageing population, we believe technology can help solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

So today we’re announcing the Google Impact Challenge in Australia to support Aussie innovators in the non-profit sector who want to use technology to make an impact. 

Starting today, Australian non-profits can submit their technology-driven ideas to the Google Impact Challenge for the opportunity to share in $4.5 million of funding. We’ll reward the four winning submissions with a $750,000 grant plus support from Google volunteers to help make each project a reality. The other six finalists will receive $250,000 each, as well as mentoring to kickstart their projects.

Apply online today at: g.co/australiachallenge.
We’ll announce ten finalists in October, and then invite the Australian public to vote for their favourite idea. On October 26, a judging panel including David Gonski, Lucy Turnbull, Layne Beachley, Melissa Doyle, Alan Noble, and Jacquelline Fuller will select three awardees. The fourth awardee will be chosen based on online votes from the public.

This year, The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is also offering four additional $500,000 grants for projects that use technology to make a social impact internationally. The DFAT Technology Against Poverty Prize is provided by innovationXchange as part of the 2016 Google Impact Challenge and is particularly focused on how technology can reduce poverty and make lives better in the Asia Pacific region, with new international development solutions that are cheaper, faster and more effective. Unless applicants choose to opt out, all entries into this year's Google Impact Challenge will also be considered for a DFAT grant.

This is second time we’ve run the Google Impact Challenge in Australia. In 2014, we supported 10 ideas with $3.5 million in funding — ranging from Fred Hollows’ low-cost mobile camera to detect and prevent blindness caused by diabetes to Infoxchange’s web app called Ask Izzy to connect homeless people with social services. Two years down the track, these projects have created a significant social impact and we hope this next round of funding will do the same.

Non-profits, you have four weeks to submit your ideas. Entries close on July 13.

Posted by Alan Noble, Director of Engineering, Google Australia.