Whilst the Internet and social media make it easier than ever to ensure an idea is open to a world audience, the combination of content overload and an appetite for hype, mean that few ideas go beyond a blog post or discussion thread. Unless an idea has a registered, incorporated identity, Deductible Gift Recipient status, or is proposed by an extremely driven, resilient and networked individual/team, it is really hard to get credibility, volunteers, advice or financial support to get the idea ‘off the ground’.

The Action Incubator addresses this by providing a free, online space for the identification, incubation and support of user-generated ideas that seek to create a brighter Australian future.

HOW IT WORKS

The Action Incubator supports early-scale social innovation that is:

• Not-for-profit
• Actionable
• Utilising existing assets where possible
• Addressing domestic social needs
• Congruent with Project Australia’s Charter

Everyone is welcome to contribute and see their ideas put into action! Here is a brief overview of the model:

READY, SET, GO

Ready, Set, Go is the structured submission process members are guided through in order to communicate, develop and promote an idea. The format is simple, user friendly and helps team members to develop a comprehensive understanding of the milestones, strategies and resources needed to bring their social innovation to life.

READY is the initial phase in which the idea is posted, receives public feedback and has the opportunity to attract the 5 team members essential to progressing to the SET phase of project incubation.

SET is the intermediary phase where the newly formed team is provided with online space and tools to develop the project for a minimum 5 week period. During this time team members pool their talents and resources into making use of this online space to prepare a detailed submission for review by the Project Australia Action Review Panel. The review panel will bring together experienced individuals from a range of relevant areas able to provide useful feedback and leads for your plans.

GO is the launch phase during which approved projects are provided with $500 and 5 strong leads as well as an ongoing online space to advertise needs and report the progress of their project. The funding provided for successful projects will come from the Australian Social Innovation Fund, supported by revenue from our social enterprises as well as targeted public donations.

To support incubation throughout this process, we are developing an online ‘toolbox’ for Australian social innovation, currently housed in its basic form at: http://project-australia-tools.wikispaces.com