How to get Google to fund your tech project

(Source: Getty)

Google is promising more than $4 million in grant funding for Australian projects creating technology that will help with crisis response, preparedness and resilience for crises to come.

According to a blog post by Google Australia managing director Mel Silva, the tech giant has already been working with the National Bushfire Recovery Agency to identify areas where technology can play a role in solving problems for communities.

The new crisis fund will give a cash boost to projects creating innovative technology, said Silva, with a special focus on artificial intelligence technology.

“Through the new Crisis Response and Recovery Fund we will work with the Australian Government, academia, non-profits and community groups to find and support projects that use emerging technology, particularly AI (Artificial Intelligence) to help with crisis response, preparedness and resilience,” she said.

Projects will be assessed and chosen by a panel of technology experts, Silva said.

Is your project eligible for funding?

There isn’t very strict criteria you need to meet to vie for funding; Google is leaving it pretty open to the kinds of project proposals they receive, and how many.

So long as your project uses technology to tackle crisis preparedness and response, you’re in with a shot.

“As core requirements for the fund, projects have to be focused on Australian crisis response (including prevention) and recovery, and digital technology should play an indispensable role in the project,” said Google Australia interim head of communications Katrin Maurer.

“As an example, this could be an organisation using A.I. to predict the spread of bushfires.”

If you think you have a project worthy of Google funding, you’ll need to contact crisisfundau@google.com to find out more.

Google has also been active in bushfire-impacted regional communities with one-on-one consultations with small business owners in the area.

Google also launched free OnAir workshops for small businesses that teaches people how to use their business suite, providing skills assistance to job applicants, helping people work and manage their business remotely, and even resources for teachers on how to teach artificial intelligence over online classes.

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