SPARK Sydney is a structured, evidence-based approach to advance therapeutic, vaccine and drug-discovery innovations toward commercially informed licensing opportunities or clinical trials.
The SPARK Program at University of Sydney (SPARK Sydney) offers a unique partnership between university researchers and industry experts. SPARK Sydney 2026 supports up to six high-potential teams with promising technologies, selected for their translational potential and readiness to engage in commercialisation learning and venture development. This is achieved through:
Each selected team includes a Team Lead (level C or above) and a minimum of 2 additional team members supported by a Team Coordinator. Each project has evidence of University of Sydney IP, market validation and has current and ongoing funding and resources allocated over the 18 month program.
Join an information session to determine if SPARK Sydney is the program for you.
Tuesday 5 May 10:00am - 10:45am register here
Thurday 21 May 2:30pm - 3:15pm register here
Tuesday 26 May 11:00am - 11:45am register here
Teams commit to attending in person the 2-day Bootcamp and a minimum of 80% of the quarterly full day education blocks and monthly mentoring opportunities
In-person 2 full day workshop at the Sydney Knowledge Hub bring together all teams to kick off their SPARK journey.
Team Leads and Team Members commit to attending both sessions:
In-person full day modules at the Sydney Knowledge Hub bring together all teams covering a range of educational topics.
Regular and structured, project review sessions with other teams are aligned with education blocks. Identified and matched mentors are invited to attend the reviews, providing expert recommendations according to each project’s needs.
Team Leads and Team Members commit to attending:
Team mentoring with matched commercial and clinical experts bringing deep research translation experience. Mentors will provide guidance and advice to troubleshoot technical challenges, pivot when necessary, and validate team assumptions.
Team Leads and Team Members commit to attend monthly mentoring sessions scheduled by the Team.
A program-end showcase event where SPARK Fellows present their commercialisation readiness, milestones achieved, and next-stage plans to external experts, mentors and investors.
Team Leads and Team Members commit to attending in person
The PERIscope Commercialisation Award is the right program for me if:
Inventor Mentoring is the right program for me if: