Help & support
Uncover where innovation is happening across Australia and what it could mean for your business.
Get recognised for how your business is turning ideas, technology and better ways of working into practical outcomes.
Access free online training to help you develop ideas, test opportunities and put innovation into practice.
Developed by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research at the University of Melbourne in partnership with CommBank, the Innovation Index draws on 18 years of data to track innovation activity across Australian industries, regions and time.
The CommBank Business Innovation Awards recognise and support emerging, scaling and established Australian businesses turning ideas, technology and better ways of working into practical outcomes.
Open to eligible businesses across Australia, even if they don’t bank with CommBank, the Awards offer practical support from CommBank and partners, including a cash grant, mentoring, bootcamps, AWS credits, workshops and a Seattle learning experience visiting AWS and the CommBank Tech Hub.
Applications close 30 September 2026.
CommBank has partnered with the University of Melbourne to provide online innovation training for Australian small and medium businesses through the Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship.
Developed to help Australian businesses build practical innovation capability, the training provides tools, frameworks and real-world examples you can apply to your business.
Learn at your own pace and explore modules covering the different stages of the innovation journey.
A piece of technology designed for military and rescue operations paired with a new way of thinking helped transform a family business based in western Sydney into an industry innovator.
What began as breakthrough hydrogen research at the University of Wollongong is now a world-leading innovation powerhouse with its first commercial order after just five years of development.
From breeding Wagyu cattle across six properties to introducing robotics into its feedlot, Strathdale Wagyu is combining family farming with new technology.
Innovation can help businesses solve practical challenges and serve customers better, while supporting stronger and more sustainable growth.
CommBank Business Innovation supports Australian businesses with free training, practical insights, real business examples and the opportunity to be recognised through the CommBank Business Innovation Awards.
Whether you’re improving the way you operate today or building something new, CommBank is here to back businesses creating impact through innovation.
Innovation can help businesses solve practical challenges and serve customers better, while supporting stronger and more sustainable growth.
CommBank Business Innovation supports Australian businesses with free training, practical insights, real business examples and the opportunity to be recognised through the CommBank Business Innovation Awards.
Whether you’re improving the way you operate today or building something new, CommBank is here to back businesses creating impact through innovation.
CommBank is working with partners across business, education and technology to help recognise and support Australian businesses finding smarter ways to work.
Supporting innovation research and education, including hosted innovation bootcamps and innovation training through the Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship.
Providing mentoring and growth perspectives for ambitious businesses.
Providing technology, cloud and innovation support, including AWS credits and workshops.
Supporting practical innovation workshops and business transformation expertise.
No. The training is open to Australian residents, aged over 18. You don’t need to be a CommBank customer or sign up to a CommBank product to access the training.
No. The training fee is covered by CommBank.
The training is a self paced, online course made up of practical modules. You can complete individual modules or the full program. Participants who complete all modules receive a certificate from the Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship.
Yes. Applications are now open for the CommBank Business Innovation Awards. Eligible businesses can apply online.
Visit the CommBank Business Innovation Awards page to explore the award categories, check your eligibility and select the application that's right for your business.
The Awards celebrate businesses developing new or improved products, services or processes – from technology adoption and customer experience to sustainability, new business models and better ways of working.
Yes. You can do both. The training is available regardless of whether you enter the Awards and you don’t need to be registered for the training to enter the Awards.
See below for full T&Cs and eligibility criteria.
The Index tracks innovation activity across Australian industries, regions and time, drawing on 18 years of data to provide a clearer picture of where innovation is happening.
You can access the full report from this page.
Access free training, explore practical examples and find out more about the CommBank Business Innovation Awards.
About the CommBank-Melbourne Institute Innovation Index
Produced by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research in partnership with Commonwealth Bank. It tracks innovation activity across Australia from 2006–07 to 2023–24. The Index draws on the ABS Business Longitudinal Analysis Data Environment and Person Level Integrated Data Asset, known as BLADE and PLIDA. The Index is benchmarked to 2016–17, where the national average equals 100. A score above 100 indicates higher innovation intensity than the 2016–17 national benchmark. The Index is a relative measure of innovation intensity, not a count of innovations or a measure of innovation quality. The Index combines eight indicators spanning innovation inputs, protected outputs and market translation: R&D expenditure, high-skilled employment, overseas royalty payments, patents, trademarks, design rights and complex global value-chain imports and exports.
About the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research
The Melbourne Institute is a department within the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne, committed to supporting a fair and equitable Australian society. Our work delivers independent and impartial research for government, business and community organisations, while informing discussion on current economic and social policy issues.
The Awards promotion starts 27 July 2026 and ends on 30 September 2026. View the full Terms and Conditions and eligibility criteria.
The information is general only and includes references to various reports and external training materials. Please access the original source materials to view all relevant disclosures. CommBank does not endorse and makes no representation or warranty, either expressed or implied in relation to the providers, their products or materials.
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