The Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships 2024 program has opened for expressions of interest today, seeking exceptional leaders with breakthrough solutions to Australia’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.

Fellows get 12 months to focus exclusively on their project, plus $180,000 and access to a program of support to help to shepherd their ideas and initiatives towards fruition.

Launched by the Sidney Myer Fund and The Myer Foundation in 2014, the program has empowered 30 Australian social and environmental leaders and entrepreneurs, including:

• 2014 Fellow Jordan O’Reilly’s HireUp platform for people with disabilities to engage their own support workers

• 2016 Fellow Anna Rose’s work to build a national movement of farmers taking climate action through establishing Farmers for Climate Action

• 2020 Fellow Mikaela Stafrace’s The Placement Circle supporting women who are isolated and vulnerable to become employment capable.

The Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships program is seeking:

• individuals who are experienced, entrepreneurial, collegiate and connected, with initiatives that are high impact, unique, scalable and sustainable, and who can commit to the program for 12 months

• projects or initiatives that align with one or more of the three program themes of Sustainability & Environment including climate change, Inclusion & Equality and Human, Civil & Legal Rights, and meet a range of other eligibility criteria.

Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships Committee Co-Convenors Edwina Myer and Jonathan Lindsay said the program looks for the powerful combination of a breakthrough initiative and the capacity of the applicant to bring it to fruition.

“Fellows have the opportunity to develop personally and professionally to best position themselves to drive real change, all while building connections with a diverse cohort of changemakers,” Edwina Myer said.

Co-Convenor Jonathan Lindsay added: “Time and money can be the two scarcest resources for social and environmental entrepreneurs; the Fellowships offer a rare combination of focus and financial resources to help Fellows progress their work and scale their impact.”

Applicants from all professional and cultural backgrounds and across all sectors – private, public and non-profit – are encouraged to apply for the 2024 program.

Expressions of Interest for the Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships close at 11.59pm AEST on Sunday 10 September 2023. Click here to find out more.