Google Australia offers $5.5m grants for NFPs and social enterprises

Google Australia’s third annual Google.org Impact Challenge grant will offer $5.5 million to support Not-for-Profits and social enterprises tackling social issues with technology.

Vice President of Product at Google Australia, Anil Sabharwal, said in a blog post: “Every day, Australia Not-for-Profits and social enterprises are finding new ways to address some of our most challenging social problems.

“We know that technology can be part of that solution. Big ideas, such as using machine learning to help health professionals detect cancer, highlight the transformative potential of technology.”

The Australian public will be voting for their favourite idea with ten finalists being announced in October by Google. Four winners will receive one million in grant funding and the remaining six finalists will receive $250,000 in funding for their project.

Google Australia is primarily looking at how technology will improve lives. The application will require an analysis of the core insight or innovation and how this will differentiate from similar equipment from competitors, the scale of the project and its feasibility.

This grant is only available to organisations that are registered in Australia, with each foundation eligible to submit only one application. The grant submission notes that although funds can go to overheads and staffing costs, it is a requirement that the majority of the grant will be devoted to the implementation of the project.

“Australia has a long history of innovating for impact, whether it’s in the bionic ear or WiFi. Through the Google.org Impact Challenge we want to champion our emerging innovators,” Sabharwal said.

Previous winners include The Fred Hollows Foundation, Infoxchange, Hello Sunday Morning, and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. The finalists were each awarded for technological breakthroughs in their sectors that addressed the need to overcome social challenges.

The Great Barrier Reef Foundation won the People’s Choice Vote in 2016 and dedicated their $750,000 winnings to a project called the ‘RangerBot’, a low-cost and autonomous underwater vehicle that served to help protect the reef.

Foundation Managing Director, Anna Marsden, said the foundation wanted to “empower communities on the frontline,” which was made possible by the boost in funding.

“We’re very grateful the world shares our vision, so generously voting to protect reefs around the world,” Marsden said.

The Google.org Impact Challenge was created to identify organisations that were willing to invest in technology to combat social issues and to engage the public in supporting them. Sabharwal said that technology is often part of the solution.

“We’re backing Australia’s forward thinkers. This year, nonprofits and social enterprises can apply for a share of $5.5 million to support projects that use technology for good.”

For more information on how to access the grant, visit: https://impactchallenge.withgoogle.com/australia2018