The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) invites Regional Activator Alliance (RAA) members to submit projects or ideas from your region for preselection consideration. A series of online selection sessions designed to surface and strengthen regional solutions will be conducted in the lead up to Regionalisation Dialogue Day, 15 September 2026 in Canberra.
1. Purpose of the Submission Process
The preselection process is designed to:
- Identify high‑quality regional projects and ideas
- Provide structured, expert feedback from national decision‑makers
- Strengthen proposals prior to national exposure
- Select two leading projects from each category to present in person at Regionalisation Dialogue Day.
- This is a solutions exchange, not a funding round or advocacy process.
2. Who Can Submit
Submissions are open to:
-
Current RAA members
- Regional organisations sponsored by a current RAA member
Each organisation may submit more than one project, provided each submission meets the criteria and is entered separately.
3. Submission Categories
Applicants must nominate one category per submission.
Category 1 – Ready to Scale
Projects already operating and delivering outcomes, seeking national or cross‑regional expansion or adoption.
Typical characteristics:
- Proven outcomes or data
- Operational delivery underway
- Clear potential for replication or scale
- Policy or system relevance
- Demonstrated alignment with the Regionalisation Ambition 2032
Category 2 – Early Stage
Projects or projects in development, seeking supporters, partners or funding.
Typical characteristics:
- Strong regional need identified
- Early pilots or proof of concept
- Defined next steps
- Clear barriers to progress that national insight could help unlock
- Demonstrated alignment with the Regionalisation Ambition 2032
Category 3 – Bold Idea
Transformational ideas at concept stage, seeking a champion to help shape, support or progress them.
Typical characteristics:
- High ambition or system‑level change
- Innovative or unconventional approach
- No expectation of immediate implementation
- Strong alignment with the Regionalisation Ambition 2032
4. What to Submit
Each submission must include the following (Maximum 500 words) and be submitted via the RDD Submission Form.
- Project Name.
- RAA Member Name.
- Project Key Contact.
- Lead Organisation and Key Contact.
- Region(s) Impacted.
- Submission Category (Ready to Scale or Early Stage or Bold Idea).
- The Challenge or Opportunity
- The Solution
- Evidence or Rationale
- Regionalisation Ambition 2032 Alignment
- What’s Needed Next
- Why Should Your Project Be Considered for RDD 2026
Submission Form
5. What Happens Next
Shortlisting: Submissions will be reviewed by RAI against the selection criteria (see item 6 below). Shortlisted applicants will be invited to present to a RAC member panel at a category specific online selection session.
Online Selection Sessions - Each shortlisted project will:
- Deliver a 5‑minute pitch
- Participate in 5 minutes of structured panel dialogue
- Receive direct, constructive feedback from the RAC member panel
Selection for Regionalisation Dialogue Day 2026 from each session:
- Two standout projects will be selected
- Six projects in total will be presented in person at Regionalisation Dialogue Day 2026
6. Selection Criteria
Projects will be assessed based on:
- Alignment with the Regionalisation Ambition 2032
- Clarity of the problem and solution
- Demonstrated or potential impact
- National relevance or scalability
- Responsiveness to feedback and challenge
- Suitability for a solutions exchange style dialogue format
7. Key Dates
-
Submissions open: 11 May 2026
- Submissions close: 10 July 2026
- Online category sessions: 20, 21, 22 July 2026
- In‑person Regionalisation Dialogue Day 2026: 15 September 2026
8. Support
All shortlisted projects will receive:
- Clear pitch guidance
- Panel feedback
- Support to refine presentations ahead of Regionalisation Dialogue Day 2026
Submit your solution. Test it. Strengthen it. Help shape national outcomes.
Submission Form
For more information contact
Mary Curran
Senior Communications & Stakeholder Engagement Manager
[email protected]