Regional Australia, disadvantaged groups among the winners in NBN innovation grants

The program, begun in October last year and delivered in partnership with the Regional Australia Institute, gave technology-led businesses in regional Australia the chance to share in $95,000 to support the development of their innovative, digitally-led idea.

Two Queensland agricultural businesses helmed by female leaders, Black Box Co and Cattlesales.com.au, were among seven winners announced this week.

Adelaide Hills O&G received the health award for their work towards enabling access to scans previously only available in Adelaide by providing real-time streaming of tertiary level ultrasounds to city-based specialists for review.

Airguides, a Gold Coast-based tour operator offering trips created in partnership with high-profile Australian storytellers, won the tourism section, while a Sunshine Coast business, Sunshine Butterflies took out the education award.

It will use its grant to further programs that help people living with an intellectual and/or physical disability in regional Queensland to learn technology-based skills including basic coding, flying drones and 3D printing.

The arts award went to Disability Club and DME3, a social media network and music streaming service for people who live with a disability, based in the Bega Valley, NSW.

Each section winner received $10,000 to take their innovations to the next level, while HoldAccess, based at Palmerston in the Northern Territory, received an extra $25,000 as the champion digital innovation.

The company has created a digital solution that provides instant access to information without having to house it on an email account or with third parties.

According to HoldAccess CEO and founder, Jason Davis, its 'diji-wallet' will enable users, especially Indigenous people to make the transition to recruitment, employment and training simple and fast.

"For First Nations people, it can be quite difficult to create economic opportunities when all of your information is held by third parties on your behalf, and access to it creates a further dependency on the welfare system," he said.

"HoldAccess integrates with Enterprise Software to help businesses gain a competitive advantage onboarding employees faster in locations where it's often difficult to find people with skills and capabilities."

It can also be used with essential services, such as Community Development Programs, and help with Native Title corporations, giving them the ability to authorise their national identity as Traditional Owners.

"Many Indigenous people lack access to identification and personal documents in order to manage self-worth from verified information," Mr Davis said. "We believe HoldAccess will help increase the social fabric for regional and remote economies with a solution to a much-needed problem of digital accessibility."

NBN Co's chief development officer for regional and remote, Gavin Williams said it had been exciting to hear how regional pioneers were developing innovative digital tools, fuelling the company's passion to ensure regional businesses were harnessing the benefits of the nbn network.

"We are delighted to announce the winners of the Innovate with nbn grants program, and help their digital projects reach the next milestone to drive productivity and positive social and economic outcomes for regional Australians," he said.

"I will watch with great anticipation and enthusiasm how our winners and their projects continue to grow, evolve, develop and thrive. nbn is proud to be a part of their digital and connected business journey."

The health section winners, Adelaide Hills O&G offers specialist obstetrics and gynaecology services to rural South Australians and believes digital innovation in medicine can decrease service disparities in regional areas.

Specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Melanie Johnson said their practice was aiming to bring tertiary ultrasound services, previously available only by travelling to the metropolitan area, to the women of the Adelaide Hills and beyond.

"Mothers that have high risk pregnancies, and those requiring highly technical ultrasounds, have usually needed to travel to have these done," she said.

Real-time scanning to be performed onsite, streamed via high speed broadband services over the nbn network, would be viewed in real-time by specialist sonologists, radiologists and maternal foetal medicine specialists.

"Lowering the barrier for women to access specialist care locally has both social and economic benefits," Dr Johnson said. "An ultrasound appointment 'in the city' can often take an entire day including travel."

She said that under the World Health Organization charter, accessing the highest attainable standard of health was one of the fundamental rights of every human.

"The ability to extend that to a foetus in utero allows for care to begin even sooner," she said. "Women in rural areas should not be disadvantaged because of their distance from tertiary level ultrasound services."

Airguides will use its $10,000 grant to enable it to strategically pivot to focus on regional tourism following the collapse of international tourism.

By developing attractive, regional travel products offering personalised packages that incorporate recommendations from its storyteller partners - photographers, filmmakers and chefs - and taking care of all planning, bookings and support, it hopes to help the Australian tourism industry in its recovery.

Founder and chief operating officer Bibi Jellema said they were focused on driving revenue to local tourism businesses across Australia, including regional and Aboriginal operators.

In partnership with the most trusted storytellers in the Oceania region, including National Geographic photographers, Tourism Australia ambassadors and celebrity chefs, Airguides creates authentic trips focusing on themes including nature, photography, food and wine, and cultural experiential travel.

"Our storyteller partners provide authentic content and recommendations for a multi-day trip, with the Airguides team taking care of all logistical elements, including planning, bookings and support."

For every trip booking the Airguides' storytellers will earn a commission, creating an income stream for this group of talented creatives, allowing them to create more inspirational travel content to promote Australia.

These trip products will promote Australia in a unique, storytelling way, keeping destinations top of mind and attracting international visitors once restrictions ease.