The Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships 2026 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 initiatives towards fruition.

Launched by the Sidney Myer Fund and The Myer Foundation in 2014, the program has empowered 36 Australian social and environmental leaders and entrepreneurs, including:

  • 2018 Fellow Huy Nguyen's social enterprise Enabler, which is skilling up disability and aged care support workers using interactive games technology
  • 2020 Fellow David Pearson's Australian Alliance to End Homelessness supporting collaborative efforts to systemically end homelessness
  • 2024 Fellow Dr Naba Alfayadh's Rahma Health, a global charity that supports Arabic speaking families to enjoy the first five years of a child's life.

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 must 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 2026 program.

      Expressions of Interest for the Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships close at 11.59pm AEST on Sunday 17 August 2026. Click here to find out more.