The Andrews Labor Government has teamed up with Code for Australia to launch the Code for Victoria Innovation Challenge, using technology experts to help improve the delivery of government services.
Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings today announced funding of $365,000 for Code for Australia to place three teams from their Innovation Fellowship into selected departments for six months.
The challenge calls on Victorian Government departments and agencies to nominate problems or processes that could benefit from more innovation and open collaboration with industry experts.
Three problems will be selected for Code for Australia teams, made up of designers, programmers and user-experience experts, to create new tools or streamline processes that will make government information more open and accessible online, and improve the delivery of government services.
The new Code for Victoria Innovation Challenge is the largest Australian government engagement with the Fellowship program to date. The Labor Government previously engaged with Code for Australia through GovHack and the recent Budget Hack event.
The project is funded under the $11 million Public Sector Innovation Fund, the Labor Government grants program designed to drive new and more effective solutions to policy and service delivery challenges.
Innovation Fund grants have been recently awarded to the Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre to enable real-time access to crisis accommodation information and to the Neighbourhood Justice Centre to implement a safer online Family Violence Intervention Order application process.
Applications for the Government’s Public Sector Innovation Fund are now open. More information is available at
Prospective fellows and government departments and agencies can apply to the Code for Victoria Innovation Challenge at
Quotes attributable to the Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings
"Victoria produces more IT graduates than anywhere else in Australia – and we’re keen to tap into that to put our brightest computer geniuses to the test."
"This partnership will bring together the public service and tech industry experts to open up government information online and find new ways to improve government services."
Quotes attributable to Code for Australia Managing Director Alvaro Maz
"Code for Australia’s mission is to help government to open up so that citizens, public servants and entrepreneurs can come together and work on issues that affect us all."
Reviewed 19 August 2020