FutureReady

Celebrating student employability and innovation

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Discover innovation. Boost your employability. Create your future.

Whether you're looking to build professional skills, connect with industry, or explore career pathways, FutureReady, our employability and innovation showcase, is your opportunity to take the next step in your career journey.

Be part of the event as we announce the 2025 Student Award winners and celebrate the remarkable work happening through student-led programs, research, and entrepreneurial initiatives that address real-world challenges and create meaningful impact.

Apply for a Student Innovation and Employability Award

Showcase your initiative at FutureReady

Get involved

Award categories

The Student Innovation and Employability Awards recognise student-led, innovative projects or startups. 

Employability Award

Celebrating students creating their future

This award recognises a student who’s taken exceptional initiative in preparing for their career by actively looking for opportunities to build skills, using University career resources and programs, gaining hands-on experience, and connecting with networks outside the classroom.

All currently enrolled undergraduate students.

  • $1,000 cash prize
  • $1,500 towards bespoke career development opportunity  
  • 1:1 consultation prize.

50

automatic

Link

50

automatic

Link

Most innovative student project – solving real-world challenges

Celebrating bold ideas with real-world impact

This award recognises exceptional student projects undertaken through the University's curricular programs that demonstrate outstanding innovation in solving real-world challenges.

  • Undergraduate or postgraduate student groups of two to six founders.
  • The project must have originated as part of a for-credit Unit of Study undertaken in the last 18 months.

$5000

INCUBATE award for the best student startup – ideation stage

Celebrating the first steps of groundbreaking ideas

This award celebrates students who have developed innovative startup ideas at the ideation stage, showing exceptional entrepreneurial thinking and potential to make real-world impact.

  • For any undergraduate and postgraduate student groups of up to six founders. A minimum of 25 percent of founders are enrolled University of Sydney students at the time of submission.
  • The startup is in the ideation or concept stage.
  • No external investment has been received. Self-funded or may have received a very small grant.
  • No minimum viable product (MVP) or in early development.
  • Currently engaging in problem validation, customer discovery and feasibility research.

$2500 and mentorship with INCUBATE. This may be in the form of entry into an INCUBATE program or a meeting with an Entrepreneur in Residence or Program Manager.

50

automatic

Link

INCUBATE award for best student startup – early stage

Celebrating the launch of innovative student ventures

This award acknowledges students who have moved their entrepreneurial ideas beyond the concept stage, embarking on a journey to create meaningful real-world impact.

  • For any undergraduate and postgraduate student groups of up to six founders. A minimum of 25 percent of founders are enrolled University of Sydney students at the time of submission.
  • The startup must be less than three years old.
  • Must have a minimum viable product (MVP) in development or already launched.
  • Have received less than $50,000 in external funding (excluding founder contributions or small grants).
  • Generating less than $50,000 in annual revenue, or still pre-revenue.
  • Engaged in early user testing, pilots, or initial sales.

$5000 and mentorship with INCUBATE. This may be in the form of entry into an INCUBATE program or a meeting with an Entrepreneur in Residence or Program Manager.

50

automatic

Link

50

automatic

Link

People's Choice Prize 

Peer-to-peer recognition

This award is decided by an online public vote. 

All Student Innovation and Employability Award finalists

  • First prize: $1000
  • Second prize: $500

Past winners

See 2024 finalists