More than a dozen organisations have secured New South Wales government funding to run innovation connection initiatives across the state, starting on Thursday night in Sydney.
Part of a Minns government effort to connect the state’s innovation system and make it more inclusive, the funding will back a series of pitch nights, hackathons and tech summits across NSW over the coming months.
The $400,000 from the latest round of the Fostering Innovation Sponsorship program will be split between the 13 organisations. Recipients can use individual grants up to $40,000 to help pay for costs like venue hire, speakers and marketing.
The third round is backing a gender funding gap event at Tech Central, the medtech workshop in Wagga Wagga and the Remarkable Disability Tech Summit run by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.
The Fostering Innovation Sponsorship round three recipients are:
| Organisation | Activity |
| Australian Fashion Council | AFC Fashioning the Future: Manufacturing Innovation Program |
| Greenhouse (part of Innovillage) | Climate Innovation and Investment Summit |
| Hunter Innovation Festival | Hunter Innovation Festival: What If… We Power the Future Through Clean Energy, Smart Manufacturing, Skilled People & Bold Ideas? |
| InnovationAus.com | InnovationAus Awards for Excellence 2025 |
| Invest Rural (Go Remote) | Invest Rural |
| Remarkable (Cerebral Palsy Alliance) | Remarkable Disability Tech Summit 2025 |
| Salus VC | Deep Tech Sovereignty Summit: Building Our Industrial Future |
| Scale Investors | Equity Clear – Show Us the Data |
| Shoshanna Group (Entrepreneurial Small Business Women Australia) | Western Sydney Innovation Connect: Women Founders x Industry |
| Tech Ready Women | FoundHER Summit: Innovation x Investment |
| University of Technology Sydney | UTS Scaling Up Summit 2026 |
| UNSW Founders | Pitch Night Southwest and MedTech & Health Innovation Workshop Wagga Wagga |
| Western Sydney Tech Innovators | Western Sydney AI Innovation Summit & Hackathon |
Remarkable founder Pete Horsely said the state funding had helped the event bring in global tech leaders and researchers, helping to demonstrate the accessibility opportunity.
“With over 1 billion people globally needing assistive technology and less than 10 per cent having access to what they need, we’re not just talking about closing gaps — we’re talking about unlocking a US$1.9 trillion opportunity for innovation and economic growth,” he said.
NSW Innovation minister Anoulack Chanthivong said connecting the state’s innovation system is crucial to making it grow and the new support aligns with the government’s overarching strategic priorities like manufacturing, housing and clean energy.
“Our strongest assets are our people, and it’s through collaborative initiatives where ideas flourish, and connections and partnerships are made,” he said.
“This is another step the Minns Labor Government is taking to bring our Innovation Blueprint to life which is helping to cement NSW as the innovation powerhouse of the nation.”
InnovationAus.com has also received funding from the program to support its annual awards night in Sydney.
The first state backed event begins Thursday in Sydney when UNSW Founders will hold a pitch night in South West Sydney.
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.