Program overview
Who is it for?
The NRL and Advance Queensland are collaborating on a three-year Innovation Partnership that aims to help the NRL solve some of their pressing challenges through Queensland innovations.
The partnership follows a successful tech showcase at Brisbane’s innovation hub, The Precinct, during Magic Round 2024. Twenty-two Queensland businesses showcased their innovative products to revolutionise fan engagement, event operations, data management, athlete performance, broadcast innovation and more.
Businesses within and outside of sport technology are encouraged to pivot and tailor solutions to sport and major events.
What are the grant/program objectives?
The NRL Magic Round Innovation Partnership aims to support Queensland-based businesses to refine and adapt their technologies to meet the needs of the NRL and its clubs, and address real-world industry challenges, aligned with the NRL’s priority innovation areas:
- Strengthen the appeal and engagement for new audiences
- Better engage Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) fans
- Enhance the in-stadium experience
- Better enable volunteers and administrators to improve the participation experience
- Boost the accessibility and appeal of stats to drive user engagement
- Elevate the quality of the fan experience for those watching at home
- Advance performance excellence and promote long-term career health for NRL/NRLW athletes.
What does it involve?
Advance Queensland is working with the NRL on several different initiatives to showcase and pilot Queensland-based businesses with an existing technology that is at, or beyond, minimum viable product stage.
For the first year of the Innovation Partnership in 2025, eight businesses were selected to take part in a 10-week NRL Magic Round Tech Sprint, which includes five core 1-hour workshops and weekly meetings with the NRL subject matter experts to help to pivot and tailor their innovative products to the NRL’s needs.
The eight selected businesses are:
- Australian Armour Company Pty Ltd (Fempro Armour) - Shock Absorbing Memory Foam for Injury Prevention
- Cerge Pty Ltd - Cérge – Your Digital Concierge
- Cool Beans Underwear Pty Ltd - Home | Cool Beans Men's Health Underwear
- Forty Ground Floor Pty Ltd (Crowd Canvas) - Home | CrowdCanvas
- Imagine Realities Pty Ltd - AR|VR|Games Outsourcing Studio | Imagine Realities
- Myriad Studios Pty Ltd – Myriad Studios – Delivering VFX Solutions for Film & Games – lidar scanning, photogrammetry, cyberscan, texturing, location surveying
- Talk All Sport Pty Ltd - Home - talkallsport
- WearOptimo Pty Ltd – WearOptimo | Wearable Biometrics | Hydration Monitoring Device | Brisbane Australia
How do you apply?
Applications for the NRL Magic Round Tech Sprint closed on 9 January 2025.
The Advance Queensland Corporate Innovation Network (CoIN) is working closely with the NRL on more opportunities for Queensland innovative businesses to showcase their technologies, trial solutions with the NRL and its partners, and solve some of the NRL’s pressing challenges.
Sign up to the Advance Queensland e-newsletter to check out the latest opportunities, events and updates for Queensland’s innovation ecosystem.
Contact
If you have any questions, contact us on partnerships2@des.qld.gov.au