Food Innovation Challenge

Have a passion for food? Transform your food and beverage project into a viable business with the Food Innovation Challenge (FIC).

Through workshops, exposure to industry experts, and individualised coaching, the FIC will empower student teams to design and validate their innovation projects towards the development of a viable food and beverage business.

This program is offered in association with Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) and is open to students from the FaBA partner universities UQ, QUT and UniSQ

Teams will compete for multiple prizes worth $10,000.

Key dates

Applications close. 11:59pm, Monday 18 August 2025

Submit your video pitch. 11:59pm, Wednesday 28 September, 2025

Pitch event. 12-2pm, Wednesday 8 October, 2025

UQ students: Register here

QUT and UniSQ students: Please email Gav Parry, Ventures Programs Manager, to register your interest. 

The Food Innovation Challenge is in partnership with the Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA)

  

 

Program objectives

This 6-sessions program empowers student teams to develop food and beverage innovation projects towards a viable business.

Students will do this by achieving the following milestones:

  • Problem Identification: identifying a problem or gap in the food and beverage industry that needs to be addressed.
  • Problem-Solution Fit: validation that the solution directly addresses the needs and goals of the user.
  • Product-Market Fit: validation that the product offered creates value to be captured into a viable business.

On completion of the program, students should be able to provide a compelling case for business investment and/or buy-in from their key stakeholders.

Eligibity

Terms and conditions for the final pitch competition will be uploaded shortly. 

Who can participate

The FIC is open to students from all disciplines and study levels at UQ, QUT, and UniSQ.

UQ students: Please register here
QUT and UniSQ students: Please email Gav Parry, Ventures Programs Manager, to register your interest. 

Why participate

By participating in the FIC you will be able to:

  • build your networks,
  • strengthen your entrepreneurial skills,
  • work with participants outside your discipline,
  • address a real problem worth solving,
  • have fun, and
  • get the chance to win a cash prize!

Prizes

The top 5 teams in the Food Innovation Challenge will pitch for a share of $10,000 in prize money. Each team can pitch for up to $2,000 of prize money to take their idea forward. The top 5 teams will get access to FaBA’s network of labs, makerspaces, and experts to further develop their products.

Program Overview

Week 1: 20 August, 12-2pm - Kick-off session

Week 2: 28 August, 12-2pm - Problem deep-dive and mentoring with industry experts

Week 3: 3 September, 12-2pm - Gaining traction

Week 4: 10 September, 12-2pm - Business stratgey and mentoring with industry experts

Week 5: 24 September, 12-2pm - Pitching, storytelling, and wrap up

- Semi-final videos due 28 September, 11.59pm - 

Week 6: 8 October, 12-2pm - Final pitches and cohort showcase

Have a question?

For more information about the Food Innovation Challenge, please contact Ventures.