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Google Australia has launched their Global Impact Challenge, an innovation challenge designed to find the next big thing that will help change the world, or at least a part of it for the betterment of humanity.

The Google Impact Challenge in Australia is aimed at Aussie innovators from the non-profit sector. Whether it’s helping to detect blindness caused by diabetes, or help indigenous Australian students to embrace science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as the winners of the 2014 Global Impact Challenge did, the winners will be able to help change lives.

Innovators can submit their idea online at g.co/australiachallenge until July 13.

The finalists will be announced in October, a judging panel which will incle David Gonski, Lucy Turnbull, Layne Beachley, Melissa Doyle, Alan Noble, and Jacquelline Fuller will select three of the major grant with winners and the Australian public will vote to select the final winner – with each winner receiving a $750,000 grant to implement their idea. The six remaining runners up will each receive a $250,000 grant to kickstart their idea as well – that’s $4.5 million in total.

This year however, there’s an additional prize pool. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is also offering four additional $500,000 grants, which will be awarded to projects which ‘use technology to make a social impact internationally’, specifically in the Asia Pacific region. The Technology Against Poverty Prize is provided by innovationXchange, with all entries, unless they opt out, eligible for the DFAT grant.

If you or your non-profit group has an idea on how to change the world for the better, head to g.co/australiachallenge and submit your idea.

Source: Google Australia.