- Applications now open for Western Australia's Innovators of the Year 2025
- A new award category has been added, 'Western Australia's Young Innovators of the Year'
- This year also sees an increased prize pool valued at over $280,000
Applications have opened for the 2025 WA Innovators of the Year (WAIOTY) awards, with a new category to spotlight young innovators.
The annual awards celebrate exceptional innovators across the State with winners often benefiting from increased investment, business and media opportunities.
This year the prize pool has increased, with more than $280,000 on offer for winners and runners-up at the awards ceremony.
Now in its 19th year, the awards ceremony has added an additional category focused on celebrating the work of young WA innovators.
'Western Australia's Young Innovators of the Year' will be awarded to a high school-aged individual or team who have developed an outstanding innovative product, technology, process or service that clearly demonstrates an economic, social or environmental benefit to WA.
This brings the total number of award categories for the WA Innovators of the Year 2025 to seven.
The following five award categories close on Wednesday, 11 June at 11am:
- Rio Tinto Emerging Innovation Award;
- Rio Tinto Growth Innovation Award;
- Wesfarmers Wellbeing Platinum Award;
- Business News Great for the State Award; and
- Woodside Energy Platinum Award for Energy Innovation.
Finalists in these award categories will participate in an Accelerator program to help them grow their businesses.
The remaining two award categories close on Friday, 25 July at 1pm:
- WA Government Innovation Award; and
- YEA WA Young Innovators Platinum Award.
Finalists will be announced later in the year, with winners and runners-up to be announced at the WAIOTY Awards Ceremony in October.
For more information and to apply see: New Industries Fund: WA Innovators of the Year (www.wa.gov.au).
As stated by Science and Innovation Minister Stephen Dawson:
"It's that time of year again where we are seeking the State's best and brightest innovators to apply for Western Australia's Innovators of the Year.
"I encourage Western Australian innovators from across the State to make a submission, especially those from the regions.
"The awards are an amazing opportunity to have local innovative ideas showcased and celebrated.
"Diversity also continues to grow in our innovation sector with last year's awards seeing the greatest ever increase of applications from female founders, up more than 40 per cent from the previous years."
