NSW Govt offers up $5,000 cash prizes for health-related apps

The NSW Government is calling on developers to create health-related apps as part of a newly launched competition, offering $5,000 cash prizes for the best apps in each category.

The competition, titled apps4nsw – Collaborative Solutions for Health, is a joint initiative of the Department of Finance and Services, NSW Trade & Investment and NSW Health.

According to Robin Phua, a spokesperson from NSW Trade & Investment, the competition is a mash-up between previously held apps4nsw and Collaborative Solutions programs.

“The aim is to increase the use of NSW Government data, improve service delivery and promote open government by facilitating industry collaborations to develop innovative and new-to-market solutions,” Phua says.

As part of the apps4nsw competition, the NSW Government has identified four challenges:

• Supporting clinicians with new technologies and better analytics.

• Empowering consumers to take a greater role in their own healthcare.

• Enabling system change and new models of care.

• Collaborating with primary care.

“Besides cash prizes for each of the challenges, the winning submissions get to develop and pilot the solution together with NSW Health,” Phua says.

The best app in each challenge category will receive $5,000. There is also a people’s choice award, although the prize is yet to be determined.

For those who receive assistance from NSW Health, the type of assistance will be dependent on the potential of the teams and market viability of the solutions.

In addition to a pilot of the solution, and early access to NSW Health data, assistance may include access to researchers from NSW technology research organisations.

Teams could also receive promotional and market entry advice or facilitation by NSW Trade & Investment.

There are three ways to participate in the competition:

1. Register for a pitching/networking event

This event is for ICT technology developers and businesses, research organisations and health organisations that would like to share ideas and meet potential collaborators.

Up to 18 companies will have the opportunity to make four-minute presentations. The afternoon will also include opportunities for networking. Registration closes on November 8.

2. Register for a development day

This event is designed to bring creative developers, industry and government experts together to build apps which can improve the way government data is used to deliver services to citizens.

It’s worth noting new and exclusive data will be released for participants. Registration closes on November 16.

3. Submit an entry to the competition via an entry form

Entries close on November 30.