Innovation in Ageing Challenge

The three winners of South Australia’s Innovation in Ageing Challenge will share in $100,000 in grants, aimed to assist in the development of innovative projects that engage and benefit seniors. 

Minister for Ageing Zoe Bettison announced the winners at an event in December at The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI).

“As a state with one of the highest proportions of older people in Australia, in South Australia we want to help ensure that people are leading more fulfilling and enjoyable lives.

“These grants will help to do just that. We have been spoilt for choice with the calibre of inspiring ideas we received from entrepreneurial thinkers across the state.

“The 37 applicants offered interesting and fresh ideas to help our seniors continue to be involved in communities and social lives.

“I am excited to see the three winning projects develop and unfold with the support of the mentoring program delivered by TACSI,” Ms Bettison said.

The Innovation in Ageing Challenge called for dynamic ideas about how to make the most of life for older people.

The two categories in the challenge were:

• How can we enable Baby Boomers to continue contributing to their communities?
• How can we enable people living alone to connect socially to their communities and live the lives they want?

The three winners will share just over $100,000 in grants and $40,000 worth of mentoring to support their innovative ideas.

Winners of the Innovation in Ageing Challenge are:

• SeniorPrenuers ($25,000) - a networking organisation for over-55s that encourages people to start up new enterprises that will benefit participants and the community and will be financially sustainable.

• Test Kitchen ($40,000) - aims to break loneliness for socially isolated older people by facilitating positive social interactions over food that reignites the senses.

• Boomers Power The Community ($36,500) – Community Centres SA will explore how to engage baby boomers in volunteering and capture their skills and experience to address low functional literacy in their local community. This project will also receive the Strategy Booster Pack, two days of extra strategic support provided by Universal Favourite to help deliver the project.

TACSI’s Acting CEO Chris Vanstone said the Innovation in Ageing Challenge provides a practical demonstration of how government can spark innovation in much-needed areas such as ageing.

“TACSI is excited to be working with the winning ventures over the next six months to accelerate their development with our co-design approach,” Mr Vanstone said.