Google have announced their Google Impact Challenge in Australia in order to support Australian innovators in the not-for-profit sector who want to use technology to make an impact.

Australian NFPs can submit their technology-driven ideas to the Google Impact Challenge for the opportunity to share in $4.5 million of funding. The four winning submissions will get a $750,000 grant and support from Google volunteers. The other six finalists will receive $250,000 each and receive mentoring.

The ten finalists will be announced in October, and the the Australian public will 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.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be offering four additional $500,000 grants for projects that use technology to make a social impact internationally.

This is the second year the Google Impact Challenge in Australia will be run. Last year ten ideas were supported with $3.5 million in funding, including a project from Fred Hollows Foundation and Infoxchange. The Fred Hollows Foundation was the winner of the publics vote last year.

For more information on applying, visit g.co/australiachallenge.