First launched in February 2018, the Open Innovation Competition is the City of Melbourne's annual challenge to solve a city issue.

With a different theme each year, the competition calls for innovators, entrepreneurs, students and community members to submit their bright ideas to solve the challenge. It is designed to tap into the creativity and expertise of our community, and stimulate new ideas and effective solutions.

Participants are encouraged to incorporate data and emerging technology into their ideas to address common urban challenges.

Previous competitions:

  • 2023 – Inclusive City for International Students and Alumni
  • 2021 – City Activation and recovery
  • 2020 – Waste and Circular Economy
  • 2019 – Safe Mobility
  • 2018 – City accessibility.

Learn more about the 2023 competition

Find out more about this year's Open Innovation Competition: an inclusive city for international students and alumni.

News

Timeline

  • Timeline item 1 - complete

    Competition launch

    Launch event
    20 March 2023

  • Timeline item 2 - complete

    Participant support sessions

    Available through online Q&A and 1:1 sessions with a range of mentors and experts.

    21 March to 28 April 2023

  • Timeline item 3 - complete

    One-Day Innovation Sprint with HEX

    An (optional) in-person support session designed to give participants the tools to transform their ideas into prototypes ready for submission.

    5 April 2023

  • Timeline item 4 - complete

    In-person Mentoring Session

    A drop-in mentoring session where participants can ask questions and seek feedback from a range of mentors.

    13 April 2023

  • Timeline item 5 - complete

    Online Pitch Training Workshop with 25eight

    This workshop will give you the tools you need to develop a winning pitch. It will be interactive and structured so you can work on your pitch during the session.

    18 April 2023

  • Timeline item 6 - complete

    Competition closes

    5pm on 30 April 2023

  • Timeline item 7 - complete

    Competition Pitch Event

    Finalist pitch showcase

    Mid June 2023

City of Melbourne's open data

Explore our open data platform to access a wide variety of publicly accessible council data.