WA Innovation Calendar

Corporate Innovation Summit 2025
2025-12-10 08:00 - 17:00 (Australia/Perth) | Australian Institute of Management, 76 Birkdale Street, Floreat, WA, 6014
Join top corporate innovators at the 2025 Corporate Innovation Summit | Building Venture Engines from Within
The Corporate Innovation Summit 2025 is where industry leaders, executives, and innovation managers meet to exchange experiences, share strategies, and spark collaborations that outlast the event. With a balance of insight sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities, you’ll walk away with a richer network and actionable steps to transform your organisation’s innovation approach.
Learn more and register here: https://events.humanitix.com/corporate-innovation-summit-2025?c=innovation-calendar
West Tech Fest Pass holders get free access — email info@corporateinnovation.org.au to redeem
This event is part of West Tech Fest 2025 and presented by The Bakery

"The Long Game Live": Innovators vs. WA’s Toughest Energy Storage Challenges
2025-12-10 08:30 - 12:30 | Walyalup Civic Centre, 151 High Street, Fremantle, WA, 6160
Be part of the movement positioning WA as a world leader in innovative energy storage.
Join GreenTech Hub and Hub on SX for The Long Game Live, a high-energy, invite-only morning where the world’s brightest innovators pitch their boldest solutions to WA’s unique energy challenges to become the GreenTech Hub’s Innovation Challenge Champions on Long Duration Energy Storage.
Event Highlights:

Groundbreaking tech tackling real WA use cases, from remote operations to grid resilience.
Finalists competing to become the Long Game Challenge Champions.
Your vote counts: Help choose the People’s Choice Award winner.
Connect with industry leaders, funders, and policymakers shaping the future of energy.

Quantum Internet Summit
2025-12-10 08:30 - 13:00 | The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
In an age where AI can fake almost anything — from voices to “breaking news” — and trust online is collapsing, the Quantum Internet promises something revolutionary: a network of proof, where authenticity and identity are guaranteed by the laws of physics, not algorithms or corporations.
The Quantum Internet Summit – Perth 2025 organised by the Western Australia Web3 Association together with Quantum Australia and UWA as a satellite event of the West Tech Fest – marks the world’s first gathering dedicated to the next great leap in communication technologies and digital economy. Quantum Internet is a revolutionary step that could transform our world and ignite a new multi-trillion-dollar global economy built on trust, security, and sovereignty, as never experienced before. It promises ultra-secure communication, super-powered computation, and unprecedented sensing capabilities transforming all sectors.
You will learn what quantum internet is and why it is so exciting; have a quick intro to quantum tech in plain language; learn about the opportunities in the new quantum-digital diversified economy for individuals, investors, businesses, entrepreneurs ($funding opportunities), corporations and governments; connect with innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs and leaders in the field. Hear how quantum will change web3, blockchain and all other sectors. You will also hear about the exciting vision for Quantum R&D and innovation revolutionising and diversifying the Western Australian economy.
Entrepreneurs (including creatives) and researchers who explore quantum or quantum related projects will learn about exciting funding opportunities with Quantum Australia!

Show us the Data: Building a Fairer Funding System
2025-12-10 10:00 - 12:00 | The Centre for Entrepreneurial Research and Innovation (CERI), Level 1, 22 Stirling Highway Nedlands, WA 6009, 6009, Australia
Show Us the Data: WA Roundtable at West Tech Fest
Moving from anecdote to evidence.
Who’s getting funded – and who’s missing out – is only half the story.
Right now, Australia lacks visibility into the pipeline that shapes those outcomes.
Join Equity Clear for the WA Roundtable of our national Show Us the Data series, as we bring investors, accelerators, policymakers and ecosystem leaders together to ask:

What would it take for the investment sector to start tracking its diversity pipeline?
How can we build the infrastructure for fairer, more transparent funding flows?

Who should attend

Venture capital, private equity and angel investors
Accelerators, incubators, and venture builders
Government and policy leaders shaping innovation and inclusion
Family offices, foundations, and ecosystem enablers
Anyone committed to making Australia’s funding landscape fairer and more transparent

Tranche Two Unlocked: Tech Solutions for Accountants
2025-12-10 11:30 - 13:30 | Riff, 45 St Georges Tce, Perth, Australia
Automation Unlocked: Tech Solutions for Modern Accountants

Join Personr and Sustainable Edge Accounting & Advisory for an exclusive event on how technology is transforming compliance and helping accountants prepare for Australia’s Tranche Two AML/CTF reforms. Featuring a panel discussion and networking session, this event will spotlight Personr’s WA-built innovation, a solution redefining how accounting and regulated industries manage compliance, streamline onboarding, and protect client trust.
Why attend:

Get Tranche Two ready: Understand what the new AML/CTF obligations mean for accountants and how technology can make compliance simple and sustainable.
Leverage local innovation: Discover how Personr, a Western Australian technology company, is empowering accountants to automate risk checks, save time, and stay audit-ready.
Connect and collaborate: Meet founders, compliance leaders, and forward-thinking professionals shaping the future of financial and professional services.
Explore the intersection of tech and trust: Learn how innovation in RegTech is driving growth and resilience across Australia’s most dynamic industries.
Have the chance to win a door prize!

How to form a board of directors for scaling your start-up
2025-12-10 12:00 - 14:00 | MPH Lawyers, 6/580 Hay Street, Perth, WA, 6000
Are you a start-up founder/CEO looking for a board of directors? Or are you an aspiring director looking for your first board role?
If so, this event is for you!
Learn from 4 experienced directors who will share their experiences of:
– how they landed their first board role
– when should a start-up company form a board
– how to structure the board (who should be appointed/what skills are needed most at the earliest stages)
– how much directors should be paid (eg share option plans) to incentivise
– how to structure board meetings (frequency, minutes, etc.).

Entangled Workshop - Connecting Quantum Researchers with Entrepreneurs
2025-12-10 13:00 - 16:00 | The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
Get ready to dive into the fascinating world of quantum research and entrepreneurship at the Entangled Workshop.
A Satellite Event of West Tech Fest – Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/entangled-workshop-connecting-quantum-researchers-with-entrepreneurs-tickets-1831479487449

Freo Startup Fest by Upstart Investments
2025-12-10 13:00 - 21:00 | Freo.Social, 1 Parry Street, Fremantle, WA, 6160
The Freo Startup Fest is a fun and frenetic event that brings a startup vibe to the West Tech Fest. It’s an afternoon of entertaining content followed by a Sundowner with food and drinks included. The event is being held in the Entertainment Hall at Freo.Social in the heart of Fremantle.
You will hear from startup founders who have achieved breakout success this year and watch some of the best emerging startups pitch for prizes, including the vaunted Golden Ticket. Following its success last year, we are bringing the Tek Talks (powered by Tekkon) to the main stage to provide some practical tips and advice on the latest tech trends.
This year, we’re turning the tables and inviting a number of VCs and Accelerators to pitch to you. In this reverse pitch, they will be asked to tell you why you should consider investment from them and what they have to offer.
A crowd favourite, the audience Pitch Frenzy back. It’s your chance to get up on the stage for a rapid-fire 30 seconds in front of a crowd of some big names and like-minded folk to pitch your startup or idea.

Young Business Leaders Virtual Showcase | Western Australia
2025-12-10 16:00 - 17:30 | online
The West Australian Young Business Leaders Virtual Showcase is a celebration of the bright young minds from across Western Australia who have spent the past term bringing their business ideas to life. As part of the West Australian Young Business Leaders Program, this event offers students in Years 7–12 the opportunity to present their innovative ventures to a virtual audience of peers, educators, mentors, and industry leaders.
Throughout the program, students have taken part in a fast-paced Hackathon Day, joined five virtual after-school masterclasses, connected with mentors, and worked tirelessly to refine their business ideas. Now, it’s time to showcase their hard work and entrepreneurial spirit!
Hear directly from student founders as they pitch their business ventures, reflect on their learning journeys, and share how they’re planning to bring their ideas to life beyond the program.

[UIIN Webinar] A Living Lab for Entrepreneurship: Inside H-FARM’s Innovation Campus
2025-12-10 22:00 - 22:30 | online
How do you turn entrepreneurship education into ventures that land real corporate pilots — and do it in a way that fuels regional innovation? In this Fireside Chat, Timothy O’Connell, Senior Partner at H-FARM and Director of its Entrepreneurship & Startup Center, takes us inside Europe’s leading campus where education, startups and corporates co-exist.
Drawing on H-FARM’s experience bridging academia, venture creation, and industry innovation, Tim will share how his team develops “pilot-ready” ventures directly out of coursework, and how their Veneto-based ecosystem has become a launchpad for startups, corporates, and talent alike.

DEADLINE: MRFF 2025 Research Data Infrastructure Grant Opportunity
2025-12-11 08:00 - 09:00 | Apply online
The objective of this grant opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance to support Australian medical research and medical innovation projects that use novel methods to harness multiple existing data infrastructure types in developing and implementing new approaches for addressing an unmet medical need.
Research proposals should incorporate:

new linkage and/or use of data from multiple (at least two) existing research data infrastructure sources of different types (e.g. administrative and biobank data, registry and biobank data, wearables and use artificial intelligence); and/or
novel methodologies and approaches that leverage and enhance existing linked research data infrastructure of at least two different types (e.g. administrative and biobank data, registry and biobank data, wearables and use artificial intelligence); and
a clear outline of how the proposed project will produce knowledge and outcomes that address an area of unmet medical need.

West Tech Wadjemup
2025-12-11 08:30 - 20:30 | Pinky’s, Rottnest Island, Strue Road, Rottnest Island, WA, 6161
Reuse, Regenerate, and Reassess: Conversations on the Future
West Tech Wadjemup returns to the stunning natural beauty of Wadjemup (Rottnest Island) and the opportunity to join visionary leaders and changemakers as we explore how to measure impact beyond just commercial outcomes.
Discover innovative approaches to environmental stewardship, climate solutions, and circular economy principles that demonstrate how business can be a force for positive change. This intimate forum focuses on the entrepreneurs and investors who are building companies with purpose -those committed to leaving the world better than they found it, whilst achieving remarkable success. Hear from Dr Julia Reisser, Nicole Forrester, Bill Tai and more to be announced.

Engage in thought-provoking discussions about regenerative business models, sustainable innovation, and the meaningful metrics that matter most. Connect with like-minded leaders who understand that true success encompasses environmental responsibility and lasting positive impact.
Framed by the turquoise shores of Rottnest Island, your experience includes private ferry transfers to the Island, premium catering, and a signature afterparty that celebrates the innovative spirit driving meaningful change.
Secure your place at this exclusive Island experience and join the conversation that’s reshaping business for good.

WA RNA Salon
2025-12-11 15:30 - 17:00 | Bayliss Building, UWA, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
Dear Colleagues,
Join us to celebrate the end of 2025!
Come along for an afternoon of casual networking, conversation and connection with fellow RNA researchers.
📅 Thursday, 11th December
🕞 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 Third Floor Tea Room, Bayliss Building
Enjoy food, drinks and great company as we wrap up another exciting year of RNA science in WA.
Everyone is welcome – students, EMCRs, and senior researchers alike.
Please purchase a free ticket by clicking on this link to help us with catering. Please also feel free to share the invite with your colleagues.
We look forward to seeing you all there!
Tessa Swain and Farley Kwok van der Giezen

Accelerating Innovation Systems: how ICBs can drive innovation adoption
2025-12-11 18:30 - 19:30 | online
Innovation Unit will unpack their work with The Health Foundation and nine ICBs across the country. They have been exploring how strategic commissioning can be used to accelerate evidence-based innovations that reduce inequalities and improve lives.
This session is designed for those doing the work moving beyond the theory to share practical insights on:

Embedding innovation in commissioning cycles
Leveraging the wider innovation ecosystem
Real-world examples of successful adoption

AI Disrupt Summit | Build Club Perth x Bloom x Curtin Entrepreneurs
2025-12-13 10:00 - 19:00 | St Catherine’s College Curtin, 433 University Bvd, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
the AI Disrupt Summit, a new, hands-on event shaping the future of technology in Western Australia.
​Taking place on December 13th, 2025, at Curtin University as part of West Tech Fest, this one-day summit will bring together over 200 AI engineers, researchers, founders, and investors who are actively building the next generation of AI solutions.
Key sponsors:

Bloom (afternoon tea sponsor)
Curtin Entrepreneurship (lunch sponsor)
DDD Perth
Blackbird (sundowner sponsor)
WA Data Science Innovation Hub
Horst Maberly
Lovable
Matilda Health (cinny scroll sponsor)

DEADLINE: Market Access Grant Scheme
2025-12-15 07:00 - 08:00 | Apply online
This grant round aims to assist Western Australian health and medical life sciences companies in subsidising the cost of travel to major industry conferences and business events in 2025.
Grants of up to $5,000 (on a co-contribution basis) will be available to eligible businesses.
Learn more HERE

DEADLINE: 40under40 Awards 2026
2025-12-15 08:00 - 09:00 | Apply online
The 2026 40under40 Awards is Western Australia’s pre-eminent program that recognises and celebrates the state’s leading entrepreneurs, innovators, and future business leaders under the age of 40.
Each year, one exceptional individual is selected from the 40 winners as the First Amongst Equals.
The awards not only identify Western Australia’s top 40 young business achievers, but also singles out those who excel in the below categories:

SMALL OR START-UP BUSINESS (1-30 FTE STAFF)
MEDIUM SIZED BUSINESS (31-99 FTE STAFF)
LARGE SIZED BUSINESS (100+ FTE STAFF)
FAMILY BUSINESS
INDIGENOUS BUSINESS
INTRAPRENEUR
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
COMMUNITY, SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, OR NOT FOR PROFIT

Nominations close 15 December 2025.

DEADLINE: AUKUS SME Readiness Fund
2025-12-15 08:00 - 09:00 | Apply online
The AUKUS SME Readiness Fund is a competitive grant program to provide funding support to Western Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to improve their capacity and capability to secure work in the AUKUS supply chain, specifically for AUKUS Pillars 1 and 2.

The AUKUS SME Readiness Fund is a key component of the WA Government’s strategy for a strong and resilient economy, bolstering our industrial resilience through the Made in WA plan.

Grant funding is for 50% of eligible costs up to a maximum of $100,000.

Learn more and apply here: DEADLINE: AUKUS SME Readiness Fund

Morning Startup Presentation
2025-12-17 07:30 - 09:00 | Riff, 45 St Georges Tce, Perth, Australia
Morning Startup – Perth
If you’re involved in a startup, or thinking about starting one, chances are you can learn from others that are doing and thinking the same.
Morning Startup is a fortnightly morning catchup where founders, potential entrepreneurs and others in the startup community (VCs and Angels welcome) get together to learn something interesting, get feedback on idea, vent frustrations, and meet some new friends in the game.
If you’re not a morning person, we also host a casual afterwork catchup on the first Wednesday of each month called Founder Sundowner.
We look forward to seeing you there!
You can contact the organisers either by sending a message through this meetup group, or via:

contact@morningstartup.com
slack.morningstartup.com
twitter.com/morningstartup
facebook.com/morningstartup
linkedin.com/company/morning-startup

DEADLINE: Prime Minister's Prizes for Scientists and Innovators 2026
2025-12-18 13:00 - 14:00 | Apply online
The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science – Science Prizes award Australian scientists and innovators with prizes to recognise demonstrated achievements in science and research-based innovation and commercialisation.
There are 5 Science Prizes ranging between $50,000 and $250,000. Winners receive prize money, a medallion, lapel pin and an award certificate.
There are 5 science prizes for science and innovation:

Prime Minister’s Prize for Science ($250,000)
Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation ($250,000)
Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year ($50,000)
Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year ($50,000)
Prize for New Innovators ($50,000)

DEADLINE: ARENA Regional Microgrids Program
2025-12-19 08:00 - 09:00 | Apply online
The Regional Microgrids Program (the Program) seeks to support the development and deployment of renewable energy microgrids across regional Australia that contribute to the Program Outcomes.
ARENA has allocated funding across two Streams under the Program, and each Stream has its own Outcomes.
Stream A: Regional Australia Microgrid Pilots – $50 million
Stream B: First Nations Community Microgrids – $75 million
Learn more: DEADLINE: ARENA Regional Microgrids Program

DEADLINE: Housing Innovation Fund (HIF)
2025-12-19 08:00 - 09:00 | Apply online
The Housing Innovation Fund will support the local construction industry through a combination of grants and loans.
The HIF forms part of the broader WA Housing Plan, through which the Government is delivering long-term solutions to increase housing supply, reduce red tape, unlock land, and build workforce capability. Since 2021, more than $4.5 billion has been committed to initiatives aimed at boosting housing availability across the State.
The Housing Innovation Fund will back local businesses seeking to:

scale up manufacturing and prefabrication capabilities;
automate key elements of the construction process;
improve environmental sustainability;
reduce build times and reliance on traditional labour; and
strengthen WA’s construction and manufacturing resilience.

DEADLINE: Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP) Grant Round 5
2025-12-19 08:00 - 09:00 | Apply online
The Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP) provides research funding to support Australia-India collaborations that will help shape a global technology environment that meets Australia and India’s shared vision of an open, inclusive, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, where the rules-based international order is upheld.
The priority areas of the AICCTP Grant Round 5 grant opportunity are:

Development of international standards to support the deployment of transparent and securely designed technologies (including but not limited to artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, digital public infrastructure, biotechnologies and emerging space technologies):
Building cyber resilience and security in the Indo-Pacific
Defending an open, free, secure and interoperable internet in international forums through governance mechanisms.

Learn more and apply here: Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP) Grant Round 5

DEADLINE: Regional Economic Development (RED) Grants program Round 8
2026-01-09 08:00 - 09:00 | Apply online
Up to $250,000 is available for individual projects that promote sustainable jobs and workforce solutions, productivity, skills and capability building, as well as stimulating new investment and industry diversification across the region.
Each of the 9 Regional Development Commissions (RDCs) manage the grant round process for their region and will provide advice to applicants during the application process:
Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission (GEDC)
Mid West Development Commission
Gayscone Development Commission
Kimberley Development Commission
Pilbara Development Commission
South West Development Commission
Great Southern Development Commission
Peel Development Commission
Wheatbelt Development Commission

Work on your Tech Projects at She Codes Hack Day
2026-01-11 10:00 - 15:00 | Riff, 45 St Georges Tce, Perth, Australia
Enter…. She Codes Hack Day!
This is your opportunity to do one of three things:

Work on your own projects, surrounded by other folks who are coding along on their own projects – instant motivation and body doubling.
Mentor and support our She Codes Plus cohort who will be finishing off projects to demo at Showcase on Feb 2nd
Help us (the She Team) create new content for the one day workshop tutorials and work on processes

DEADLINE: WAGES Grant Development Workshop EOIs
2026-01-14 08:00 - 09:00 | Apply online
Expressions of interest are now open for the inaugural WAGES workshop for WA-based early-to-mid-career researchers (EMCRs), particularly those applying for MRFF EMCR Scheme. The workshops are designed for teams to come together and develop and enhance their research ideas into a strategic research plan for a grant application. At the conclusion, you will have the basis for your strategic research plan and access to follow-on support including independent peer review of your full grant application.
Complete this EOI form by 14 January 2026

From Idea to Scale: What We Wish We Knew Earlier [webinar]
2026-01-15 09:30 - 10:30 | online
In this 60-minute session, learn:

The early mistakes almost every founder makes (and how to avoid them)
How to validate your idea without wasting time or money
What traction really looks like and how to build it
How to make smart decisions around MVP, funding & growth
What the capital bucket approach is

Register here: From Idea to Scale: What We Wish We Knew Earlier

DEADLINE: Green Iron Investment Fund - National Development Stream
2026-01-16 08:00 - 09:00 | Apply online
The Green Iron Investment Fund – National Development Stream provides at least $500 million in funding to applicants around Australia. The grant funding will be accessible for both existing facilities and greenfield projects that can supercharge Australia’s world-leading iron ore industry by adding more value right here.
The objectives of the grant opportunity are to:

de-risk early mover capital investments in Australian commercial scale green iron production capability
crowd-in private investment for a strong green iron industry
create economic benefits, jobs and spillovers associated with a strong green iron industry
achieve community benefits, in line with the Future Made in Australia Community Benefit Principles.

DEADLINE: City of Fremantle Small Business Grants Program 2026
2026-01-16 08:00 - 09:00 | Apply online
The City of Fremantle funded program, which is also supported by the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce, will provide grants to small businesses for the purposes of marketing themselves during the bridge closure, and will form part of a broader coordinated campaign to remind greater Perth that Fremantle is still open for business during the works.
The program is open to small retail, hospitality & tourism related businesses that are located within the local government area of the City of Fremantle. Small businesses are defined as businesses with 20 employees or less, and an annual turnover of $10 million or less.
Small businesses are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $2,000 each which can be used for the purpose of creating marketing content and delivering paid campaign activity over their existing digital marketing channels.
Businesses who receive the grant will also receive one-on-one guidance and direction from a professional marketing agency to ensure the business achieves the greatest return possible from the $2,000 grant.
The provision of the grants will be coordinated as part of a City-led campaign which aims to generate a critical mass of marketing activity by Fremantle businesses at one time, so that potential visitors are consistently served content relating to Fremantle during the period of the bridge closure.
Applications for the first round are now open and will close 4pm Friday 16 January 2026.

DEADLINE: ANDHealth+Program
2026-01-16 08:00 - 17:00 | Apply online
ANDHealth+ is a commercialisation acceleration program for innovative digital and connected health technologies with demonstrable commercial and clinical impact potential. It is a national program that is designed to be delivered virtually, Australia-wide. All Australian SMEs which meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply.

The two-stage program supports proof-of-concept stage, evidence-based digital and connected health SMEs through:

Up to $5 million non-dilutive project funding, tranched according to agreed milestones
Significant in-kind support, specialised expertise and hands-on resources
A global network of industry advisors, investors, clinicians, executives and corporate partners
Cohort and alumni-only events and opportunities
With no equity requirements or IP transfer.

Selected participants will work with a dedicated ANDHealth support team and an Industry Advisory Panel to address and overcome key challenges along the commercialisation pathway.
Each intake, up to five companies are selected via a proven and competitive assessment process, driven by a multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary group of industry leaders with experience in evaluating and selecting high-potential SMEs.
