Help & support
The CommBank Business Innovation Awards celebrates small and medium Australian businesses leveraging innovation to develop new or improved products, services or processes, from technology adoption and customer experience to sustainability, new business models and better ways of working.
Open to eligible businesses across Australia, even if they don’t bank with CommBank, the Awards are backed by practical support from CommBank and partners including the University of Melbourne, Square Peg, AWS and Deloitte. Support includes a cash grant, mentoring, University of Melbourne hosted bootcamps, value credits to innovate in the AWS environment, Deloitte and AWS workshops and a Seattle learning experience visiting AWS and CommBank Tech Hub.
Award applications will be assessed by a panel of innovation experts drawn from both CommBank and the Awards Partners. Finalists will be invited to celebrate at a gala awards night on Thursday 19 November 2026.
Thanks to the support of our partners, prizes for winners and finalists bring together a cash grant, mentoring, technology and growth opportunities to help innovative businesses go further.
Select the category that best matches your business based on annual revenue, review the terms and conditions and start your application.
Up to $3m in annual revenue
Celebrating founders with the vision to transform bold ideas into entirely new products or services that push the boundaries of what is possible.
greater than $3m and up to $15m in annual revenue
Celebrating businesses that are innovating to scale up and gaining traction by turning a unique concept into commercial success.
greater than $15m and up to $50m in annual revenue
Celebrating businesses that have successfully grown through great innovation to deliver a new-to-world product or service that is having a meaningful impact in their markets.
Terms and conditions apply. Prize details valid as of 27 July 2026.
Finalists selected as Winners will not receive the AWS service credits or, for Emerging Innovators, the Square Peg financing session as part of the finalist prize.
Featured finalist promotional opportunities
In addition to the prize pool, winners and finalists may be invited to participate in promotional content, including through CommBank promotional channels, podcasts and media opportunities.
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.
Yes. Applications are now open. Select your award category to begin your application.
Choose the award category that best matches your business based on annual revenue, read the terms and conditions and start your application.
No. The Awards are open to eligible businesses across Australia, even if they don’t bank with CommBank.
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 have done the training to apply for the Awards.
Award eligibility, prizes, key dates and terms and conditions are available in the terms and conditions.
The 'CommBank Business Innovation Awards' (Awards) is conducted by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ABN 48 123 123 124) of Level 3C, 11 Harbour Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (PH: 13 2221) (Promoter) and runs from 10:00am (AEST) on 27 July 2026 and closes at 11:59pm (AEST) on 30 September 2026 (Application Period) (see full terms and conditions here). Open to businesses which during the Application Period and up to the final date of the judging operate in Australia, have their principal place of business in Australia, are incorporated and registered in Australia, hold an ABN or ACN, have a representative who is 18 years or older, fall within one of the following annual revenue categories based on Financial Year 2025–26 revenue (each an Award Category): 'Emerging Innovators' - up to $3,000,000 annual revenue, 'Scaling Innovators' - greater than $3,000,000 and up to $15,000,000 annual revenue or 'Proven Innovators' - greater than $15,000,000 and up to $50,000,000 annual revenue, and do not have any directors, officers or senior executives who are involved (whether as a principal, agent or employee) in the conduct or the promotion of the Awards (including any person who determines who is to win a prize in the Awards) or are a director, officer or senior executive of the Promoter or an Awards partner (being Amazon Web Services (AWS), Deloitte, Square Peg and the University of Melbourne), or any of their related entities or any other benefitting organisation determined by the Promoter not to be a conflict of interest. Entry via application form on the Awards Website by representatives of eligible applicants accepting the terms and conditions, answering questions about the eligible applicant's business and nominating their eligible Award Category. Max 1 entry per business. Submissions by eligible applicants will be judged in accordance with the Awards criteria by a panel of 5 judges, being 1 from the Promoter and 1 from each of the Awards partners from 1 October 2026 to 19 November 2026. Judges will select 5 eligible entries from each Award Category to be finalists (Finalists) and then from the Finalists 1 winner in each Award Category will be selected (Winners). Each Finalist will win a 2 day innovation boot camp on the day before and day of the Awards event for 2 representatives hosted by the University of Melbourne, in Melbourne, in collaboration with the Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship. Each Finalist in the Emerging Innovators category will also win 1 one-hour on-line financing session with Square Peg and access to USD$10,000 worth of AWS service credits. Each Finalist in the Scaling Innovators category will also win access to USD$10,000 worth of AWS service credits. Each Finalist in the Proven Innovators category will also win access to USD$10,000 worth of AWS service credits. The Finalists who are selected as Winners will not receive the AWS service credits or the financing session with Square Peg as part of the prize for Finalists. Each Winner will win an innovation workshop in February or March 2027 (date to be advised by the Promoter) for up to 4 representatives, co-hosted by Deloitte and AWS in either Sydney or Melbourne (1 day). The Winner in the Emerging Innovators category will also win an AUD$30,000 cash grant delivered to an Australian bank account in the Winner's name, 3 one-hour mentoring sessions with Square Peg (including 1 face-to-face session), access to USD$25,000 in AWS service credits and USD$15,000 in AWS Partner funding credits. The Winners in the Scaling Innovators and Proven Innovators categories will also win 5 days in Seattle from 1 February 2027 to 5 February 2027 (or dates otherwise notified by the Promoter) including visits to AWS and CommBank Tech Hub for 2 representatives (economy flights and accommodation included, as selected by the Promoter). The Winner in the Scaling Innovators category will also win access to USD$50,000 in AWS service credits and USD$25,000 in AWS Partner funding credits and the Winner in the Proven Innovators category will also win access to USD$75,000 in AWS service credits and USD$35,000 in AWS Partner funding credits. Finalists notified by email by 5:00pm (AEDT) on 26 October 2026. The Promoter will publish each Finalist's business name on the Awards Website by no later than 5:00pm (AEDT) on 31 October 2026. The Winners will be announced at an in-person Awards event on 19 November 2026 from 6:30pm to approximately 10:30pm (AEDT) at The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne, 650 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, or an alternative date, time and location as notified by the Promoter to each Finalist by email and published on the Awards Website. The Winner will be notified by email by 5:00pm (AEDT) on 20 November 2026 and published by the Promoter on the Awards Website by 5:00pm (AEDT) on 19 December 2026. Prizes may not be transferred, exchanged or redeemed for cash or other goods or services.
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