What's Involved
Get exposure to key entrepreneurial skills and frameworks through our Bootcamp and Incubation Funding Program, designed to support you and your idea.
InnovatEd brings together opportunities to learn about the innovation process itself, access to the resources to progress your innovation or project and offers professional development, funding, mentoring, networking and support from Chancellery, Learning Environments, Academic Divisions, the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre (MEC) and industry.
MEC Bootcamp
The MEC Bootcamp is a one‑day, hands‑on introduction to entrepreneurship for University of Melbourne researchers, alumni, and staff who are curious about innovation and problem‑solving. Designed to build confidence and capability, the bootcamp introduces practical entrepreneurial tools to help you test ideas, validate real problems, and shape solutions with real‑world impact — whether you’re developing an education innovation, commercialising research, exploring a startup idea, or strengthening your professional skill set.
What you’ll do
- Learn proven entrepreneurial frameworks to identify problems and validate opportunities
- Test and refine ideas using evidence and real‑world insights
- Work alongside peers, mentors, and potential users
- Connect with a supportive community focused on impact and experimentation
Why attend
- Apply practical tools immediately in your work or research
- Develop new ways of approaching problems and opportunities
- Gain clarity on how ideas move from concept to impact
- Build connections across the University innovation ecosystem
MEC Bootcamps now run monthly throughout 2026.
Register for a 2026 Bootcamp: REGISTER HERE
MEC Discover
13 April – 29 May | 7 weeks | In‑person workshops
Discover is a practical, six‑workshop program designed to help University of Melbourne staff, researchers, and alumni explore whether an idea, concept, or piece of research could create real‑world impact. Across the program, you’ll test assumptions, speak with potential users, and gather meaningful evidence to strengthen, refine, or reshape your idea — building clarity, confidence, and a solid foundation for what comes next. Discover is the entry point to MEC accelerator programs, with completion required before applying for InnovatEd funding, MAP, or TRAM Accelerator.
Who it’s for
- Staff, researchers, and alumni with an idea or research with impact potential
- Those curious whether it could become a startup, venture, or practical solution
- Innovators willing to test ideas and engage with potential users
Applications close 5 April 2026
Apply via a short questionnaire on the MEC Portal.
Find out more: MEC Discover
Incubation Funding Program
InnovatEd is the University of Melbourne's bespoke EdTech incubator.
This program is focused on supporting projects and innovations that address problems in the tertiary teaching, learning and assessment environments that can be improved with technology – think AI tutors, educational apps, virtual classrooms game-based learning, AR/VR, and assessment tools etc.
By joining InnovatEd, you'll have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on education, creating technology that enhances the student experience and transforms learning at the University of Melbourne. Projects can be at any stage of development, from idea to already-in-use and looking to scale.
The program offers:
- Funding of up to $20,000
- Tailored Support: Our incubator is highly bespoke, offering individualized guidance and mentorship based on your specific project stage, ensuring you get the support you need to succeed.
- Exclusive Connections: InnovatEd provides access to the University of Melbourne's leadership and the broader EdTech community, helping you build vital connections and advance your idea within the ecosystem.
- Long-Term Impact: With our focus on commercial viability and education innovation, InnovatEd positions you to create lasting solutions that not only benefit the University but also the broader education sector.
Applications will open mid 2026.
To be eligible to apply, you must have completed MEC Discover or similar pre-accelerator program
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