Meet the 2025 Innovate with nbn Grants Program winners
9-minute read
Winners of the 2025 Innovate with nbn® Grants Program have been announced. Learn more about this year’s award-winning businesses.
The winners of the 2025 Innovate with nbn® Grants Program have been announced, with a regional Australia education business aiming to tackle educational inequality crowned the 2025 Champion.
Announced in Sydney on 11 November 2025, the awards celebrated the best and brightest the regions have to offer, showcasing a multitude of businesses across Australia harnessing the nbn® network for the benefit of the bush.
About the program
Since the inception of the Innovate with nbn® Grants Program in 2020, more than 950 entries have been received from every Australian state and territory. From those entries, 42 winners have been awarded grants to help take their products and services to the next level. We continue to partner with the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) to develop the Innovate with nbn® Grants Program, and assist growing regional businesses who are using the nbn network to drive innovation and deliver social and economic outcomes.
Since 2020, we've proudly highlighted the journeys of past program winners, supported their growth and celebrated their remarkable achievements. Our purpose at nbn is to elevate Australia by connecting people and powering progress, and it’s a purpose we share with everyone involved in this program.
Past award winners have hailed from Darwin in the Northern Territory, Busselton in Western Australia, Blackstone Point in Tasmania, Sam Remo in Victoria, Armidale in New South Wales, Thursday Island in Queensland, and Mount Barker in South Australia.
Their innovative plans have been as widespread as the locations themselves, and we’re delighted to help bring their pioneering ideas to light from their own communities across seven categories.
This year, we introduced a new category, Sport & Recreation, as well as combining two previous categories into one, Arts & Tourism. The five other categories included Agriculture, Education, Health, Indigenous Business, and Women in Regional Business.
This year, there was a total prize pool of $125,000. Category winners received $15,000 and the overall champion, another $20,000.
The winners
The 2025 Innovate with nbn® Grants Program winners are:
Education and 2025 Innovate with nbn® Champion
RAISEducation
RAISEducation, based in Sandford (TAS), delivers specialist literacy and numeracy support through online lessons, personalised plans and home resources. The business provides support for families and children living in remote and isolated farming communities across Outback Australia.
Through connectivity, RAISEducation removes barriers to equitable, supportive and meaningful educational experiences for Australian families living in some of Australia’s most remote locations. Many children in rural areas start school behind – not due to lack of ability, but lack of access. With RAISEducation and nbn connectivity, families living hundreds of kilometres from services now have help.
Since beginning in 2020, more than 100 children have joined the RAISEducation program, with many advancing more than 6 to 12 months of progress in just one school term. RAISEducation believes where a child lives should not decide their future, with all children deserving to be seen, supported and given every chance to succeed.
RAISEducation Founder and Director, Kylie Jones, said her business doesn’t just teach kids, it empowers families and helps to build their future.
“We want to accelerate our mission to ensure every child in rural and remote Australia has the opportunity to learn to read, no matter where they live.
“Literacy should not depend on a family postcode, yet thousands of children still go without help simply because they cannot access specialist support. Winning allows us to expand the program to reach more communities, strengthen our digital learning platform and train additional literacy specialists.”
“It helps us build long-term change. When a child learns to read, doors open. Confidence grows. Futures shift. Winning this grant will bring us one step closer to educational equity for rural Australia.”
Kylie Jones
Founder and Chief Executive Officer at RAISEducation
Agriculture
Withcott Seedlings
Withcott Seedlings, based in Withcott (QLD), is one of Australia’s largest and most advanced seedling producers, supplying millions of vegetable seedlings to growers across the country. The operation combines scale with sustainability, using precision agriculture and climate-smart practices to reduce waste and improve yield.
Withcott Seedlings’ commitment to innovation is matched by their dedication to regional employment and community engagement. nbn connectivity has enabled Withcott Seedlings to implement precision agriculture and climate-smart practices at scale, supporting innovation and sustainability in regional horticulture.
“Winning an Innovate with nbn® grant will accelerate our journey toward a fully connected, data-driven nursery. It allows us to deploy more sensors, enhance our AI analytics, and digitise essential tasks like spray-chart management. More importantly, it gives regional agriculture a voice – showing that technology can make farming smarter, safer and more sustainable. It highlights the potential for regional innovation to lead the nation in digital adoption and environmental responsibility.”
Damien Gibbons
Chief Information Officer at Withcott Seedlings
Arts & Tourism
Australian Centre for Regional Events
The Australian Centre for Regional Events (ACRE), based in Rangeville (QLD), celebrates the vibrancy of regional arts and tourism through immersive experiences and community-led programming. From festivals to exhibitions, the Centre showcases local talent and fosters cultural exchange. It’s a place where creativity meets connection, and where regional stories are told with pride.
By supporting artists, hosting events and promoting tourism, the Centre strengthens the social and economic fabric of regional Australia. nbn’s network empowers the Centre to host virtual events and promote regional arts and tourism to a wider audience.
ACRE aims to develop a custom AI-powered digital platform to streamline event planning, delegation and delivery for volunteer committees, reducing the administrative burden, improving communication and creating a scalable model of support for events across regional Australia.
“Winning this award means far more than recognition – it enables us to accelerate the development of tools and systems designed to strengthen and sustain events across regional and rural Australia. This grant allows us to bring forward work that would otherwise take another two to three years to realise, delivering much-needed support to regional event organisers sooner.
"In the past year, we have seen a concerning number of regional events close and event professionals face increasing pressure, burnout and mental health challenges. This funding allows us to respond now, providing practical solutions and renewed confidence for the people who bring regional communities together through events.”
Linda Tillman
Director and Regional Event Specialist at Australian Centre for Regional Events
Health
Well Balanced Care
Well Balanced Care, based in Parramatta Park (QLD), delivers allied health services across rural and remote Queensland through clinics, outreach and telehealth. They use a business model that ensures every client, regardless of postcode, has access to consistent, personalised care. Recognising the challenges faced by remote communities, they bridge service gaps with innovation, including therapy boxes and digital education, and work closely with families and local networks to build capacity and connection.
Their therapy boxes were born out of the dream to make therapy more accessible for people living in rural and remote areas. Each therapy box is custom designed to match each client’s therapy goals, containing hands on resources, visual guides and digital tools to use alongside telehealth sessions. The project leverages nbn connectivity to bridge the gap between distance and engagement; enabling families to continue therapy confidently at home with remote clinical guidance.
At their core is a belief that where somebody lives should not determine the quality of health care provided, and everyone deserves consistent and personalised support. nbn connectivity enables Well Balanced Care to deliver telehealth and digital education, ensuring rural clients receive world-class allied health services.
“Winning this award is a defining milestone for Well Balanced Care and the therapy boxes initiative. It allows us to scale our reach, refine our technology integration, and deliver even greater outcomes for people who often sit outside the reach of traditional therapy services. More importantly, it will raise awareness about the ongoing challenges and opportunities that exist in remote allied health.
"This award would affirm that innovation isn’t limited to the big cities, it thrives in the bush, driven by people, purpose and connection.”
Scott Davis
Chief Executive Officer at Well Balanced Care
Indigenous Business
First Nation Certified
First Nation Certified, based in Cairns North (QLD), is a First Nations-owned and run verification and capability organisation that makes authentic First Nations businesses visible, trusted and procurement-ready.
They close the gap between good intent and real contracts by combining culturally safe assessment with practical buyer tools. Their two-step process includes documentary checks and a respectful cultural yarn, with verified businesses receiving a badge, profile and evidence pack.
Beyond certification, they offer hands-on coaching, tender support, cultural-awareness training for buyers and buyer introductions. Everything is consent-based and governed by First Nations protocols, turning reconciliation commitments into verifiable, lasting economic opportunity for First Nations communities.
Operating nationally, they prioritise regional and remote suppliers and track real outcomes – the number of contracts won and jobs created. nbn connectivity enables First Nation Certified to connect, verify and support Indigenous businesses nationwide, creating real economic opportunities and helping Australian businesses embed cultural integrity into procurement, operations and partnerships.
“Winning this award is a game-changer not just for First Nation Certified, but for the many First Nations businesses we serve. It will fast-track the build of a secure, national digital verification platform and searchable directory that reduces verification time from weeks to days, connects verified suppliers directly to procurement systems, and supports remote onboarding for regional communities.
"Winning validates a First Nations-led, consent-first approach to economic inclusion, enabling us to scale capability programs, deliver measurable procurement outcomes, and form stronger partnerships with buyers and funders.
"Ultimately, winning would turn momentum into long-term, measurable opportunity for First Nations businesses across Australia.”
Trevor Tim
Managing Director and Owner at First Nation Certified
Sport & Recreation
Alpha Learn to Swim
Alpha Learn to Swim, based in Alpha (QLD), is a family-led rural social enterprise transforming access to aquatic education, water safety and community wellbeing across some of Australia’s most remote regions.
Alpha Learn to Swim brings water safety education to remote communities with their mobile swim school – ensuring children learn life-saving skills, regardless of location.
With a focus on early childhood and family empowerment, they make swimming accessible and safe. Their flexible model adapts to community needs, offering high-quality instruction where traditional facilities don’t exist.
The business aims to build confidence, resilience and safety in the bush. nbn connectivity enables Alpha Learn to Swim to deliver water safety education and resources to remote communities.
“Winning this is transformational – not just for Alpha Learn to Swim, but for the rural communities we serve. It validates the message that every child, every family, and every town deserves access to water-safety education, swimming pathways and lifesaving skills, regardless of geography.
"It elevates rural drowning-prevention onto a national stage, demonstrating that regional solutions require innovation, flexibility and a community-centred approach. With greater visibility and support, we can expand our digital training capacity, strengthen remote delivery, and reach more isolated families, schools, teachers and community pools who currently have limited or no access to qualified instructors and safety programs.
"Winning honours the dedication of our team, who drive thousands of kilometres, give their weekends, and pour their hearts into building safer, stronger outback communities. It affirms rural Australia deserves – and can deliver – world-class aquatic safety and connection.”
Danielle Taylor
Director at Alpha Learn to Swim
Women in Regional Business
iDecide
iDecide, based in Kellys Plains (NSW), helps Australians prepare for life’s toughest moments, from natural disasters to medical emergencies, they give individuals, families and businesses a secure digital vault for vital documents.
Born from personal loss, iDecide ensures regional families can access what matters most – anytime, anywhere. From wills to insurance, everything is organised and accessible so that critical documents and vital information can be found during times of crisis. iDecide empowers people to plan, respond and recover with confidence.
Powered by nbn connectivity, the secure, cloud-based digital vault enables users to store, access and share essential information safely, removing the distance disadvantage for regional and remote Australians.
iDecide connects communities, empowers families and builds resilience, ensuring that no matter where people live, they can plan with confidence, respond effectively and recover faster.
“Winning this gives iDecide the visibility, partnerships and credibility needed to scale nationally, helping tens of thousands of families protect what matters most.
"The additional funding allows us to expand our pilot, reaching more households across rural, regional and remote NSW, and accelerate the development of access features to support vulnerable and remote users.
"On a personal level, it means proving that regional women can lead national-scale tech innovation building world-class digital solutions from rural, regional and remote Australia. It reaffirms that regional Australia can lead in both innovation and impact, creating technology that genuinely improves lives, supported by the nbn [network].”
Rechelle Leahy
Founder and Chief Executive Officer at iDecide
Innovate with nbn in 2026
While Innovate with nbn 2025 has come to a close, we’re committed to the ongoing improvement of the program to ensure it remains relevant to regional businesses in Australia.
If you thought about applying for the program this year but didn't, stay tuned for updates on what will be happening next year.
If you have entered before but weren't picked as a finalist or didn't win, we would welcome you to apply again next time – and greatly look forward to hearing how your business has continued to innovate.