Do you have an idea that can make a difference to the Australian aged care sector?
You may be eligible for the Aged Care Partnering Program.
The Aged Care Partnering Program team will work with you to source relevant research and industry experts to facilitate partnerships that can develop your idea into a robust project.
Anyone with an innovative idea that has the potential to make an impact in Aged Care may be eligible to enter the Aged Care Partnering Program.
Project ideas will be assessed on the problem they aim to solve for aged care, how innovative they are and if they could benefit the sector more broadly.
Don’t have an idea but want to contribute? If you are a service or technology provider, researcher or professional with expertise in a discipline relevant to the aged care sector, please contact us for more information on how you could participate.
The Aged Care Partnering Program combines intensive workshops with individual online meetings facilitated by our Innovation Managers and Research Fellows.
Our team will support you through the program and introduce you to potential partners, industry experts and/or stakeholders that will collaborate with you to co-design the best project solution that is right for you, your organisation and the wider aged care sector.
The Aged Care Partnering Program will help you explore and develop your project which you may choose to develop into an application for funding.
Innovation Network
All Aged Care Partnering Program participants will continue to be supported and can connect with other like-minded innovators through our ARIIA Innovation Network.
Our suite of free modules can help you navigate working with the aged care sector.
These five short modules have been created as a valuable resource for organisations or individuals outside the aged care sector who have innovative ideas, products, or services that could bring benefits to aged care.
If you have limited knowledge about the aged care sector, don't worry! These modules are here to assist you. They will provide insights into the aged care environment, address what the key sector challenges are, guide you through innovation implementation and adoption, and offer tips on partnering with an aged care organisation.
Access to our Industry Essentials modules is available here.
ACPP Partnership Opportunities
Please refer to the noticeboard below for available partnering opportunities. For more information, click on the email reference to contact the ACPP Team. If you are interested in multiple opportunities, please advise in the body of your email.
Opportunities are listed newest first.
Opportunity for: Community or Residential Aged Care Provider (anywhere in Australia)
Partnering with: Technology Provider
This next-generation training platform has been purpose developed in partnership with an online higher education provider and successfully deployed in one aged care provider. There is an opportunity for a community or residential aged care provider (anywhere in Australia) to trial and test cost savings, workforce engagement, completion times, and efficacy of a new and more engaging approach to compliance training for the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. By participating in this opportunity, providers have the option of staff completing anything between two, to all 15 modules, with a fun, engaging, and early access app deployed directly to the staff member’s device. With a management dashboard to monitor completion and compliance training, your organisation can get ahead of the implementation of the Strengthened Standards.
Email Reference Quality Standards and Compliance Online Training
Opportunity for: Community or Residential Aged Care Provider (located anywhere in Australia)
Partnering with: Technology Provider
Opportunity for an Australian-based residential and community aged care provider to participate in a Dementia Intervention Robotic Humanoid pilot. The pilot will explore the usage of a Robotics & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Humanoid from Singapore. The robot provides positive interaction and engagement to seniors through humanoid-facilitated therapeutic and activity programs, particularly for clients with dementia. The robot provides interaction with residents, freeing staff to attend to immediate higher care needs.
By participating in this pilot, the aged care provider will gain access to cutting-edge technology designed to provide consistent evidence-based dementia intervention. Through studies conducted in Singapore, the robot is currently equipped to handle multiple dialogue scenarios and provide an empathetic response. The robot also supports healthcare staff by being able to conduct social activities for residents, ensuring a more consistent avenue to track progress and rehabilitation. Foundation pricing and ongoing support will also be available to the participating partner.
Key staff from the technology provider will conduct training sessions to guide staff in the robot’s daily use. They will also provide data analytics on the user experience in the gathering of evidence from clients, family members, and employees. The pilot will also investigate the relevance of the robot’s current programming, how it may be further developed/localised, capabilities of the user experience and user interface to enhance person-centred care, improve care quality and workforce capability while significantly reducing redundancies and manpower hours. The implementation timeline will be tailored accordingly to do a proper evaluation with the partner organisation. Possible start date is from late 2024.
Email Reference Dementia Intervention Proof of Concept (Pilot)
Opportunity for: Home Care Provider
Partnering with: Technology Provider
An opportunity for a home care provider to partner with a technology provider and play a crucial role in implementing and managing an AI-driven welfare check-in and real-time translation service. The home care provider will pilot the AI service which provides regular, personalised health monitoring for clients, with AI-driven interactions customised to the client’s language and cultural background. The AI will perform telephone check-ins, capturing data that will be reviewed by the care coordinators to ensure comprehensive and consistent care. The AI’s ability to communicate in 99 languages and 500 dialects ensures that all clients feel heard and respected, which can lead to higher satisfaction and retention rates.
By participating in this pilot, the aged care provider will gain free access to advanced AI technology during the trial, enabling them to experience the benefits of AI-driven care without financial risk. These AI services are designed to reduce the workload on human staff, enabling the provider to deliver more consistent care with fewer resources. The provider’s responsibilities will include selecting and onboarding eligible clients, monitoring the integration of AI services into their current care routines, and providing ongoing feedback to ensure the AI system aligns with the needs of their clients.
Email Reference AI Driven Telephone Check-in & Human Dashboard
Opportunity for: Residential Aged Care Provider (located anywhere in Australia)
Partnering with: Research/training provider
An opportunity for a residential aged care provider to partner with a university (research/training provider) to explore how to implement the Fundamentals of Care Framework as a model of care in your facility, to ensure it is at the core of your care ethos, appropriately embedded in care policies and guidelines, and reflected in practice.
Fundamental Care are needs that are universal to all people, and essential for a person's health, wellbeing, recovery, and/or peaceful death. The role of the aged care provider would be to collaborate, in a co-design capacity, to embed the relationship-based Fundamental Care as a model of care within the organisation.
Be one of the first to contribute to evidence on the impact of integrating the model into aged care where it has yet to be implemented on scale. Co-implementation with research experts of a relationship-based model of care that improves staff satisfaction and outcomes for care recipients. Participation in the project spans over approximately 12 months.
Email Reference Fundamental Model of Care (Implementing)
Opportunity for: Residential Aged Care Providers (located anywhere in Australia)
Partnering with: Research/training provider
An opportunity for a residential aged care provider (multiple opportunities available) to partner with a university (research/training provider) to upskill their workforce in providing high-quality Fundamental Care through implementing and evaluating developed digital training for healthcare workers. Fundamental Care are needs that are universal to all people, and essential for a person's health, wellbeing, recovery, and/or peaceful death.
This digital training package will enhance the skills of employees in Fundamental Care delivery as well as their own self-care. The aged care provider would facilitate access to the digital Fundamental Care training for care workers by, for example, providing access through in-house learning management system.
Training modules and evaluation should take approximately 45 minutes per staff member. Aged care providers will have free access to and evaluation of Fundamentals of Care digital training that has been developed by university researchers.
Email Reference Fundamental Care Training (Integrating and Evaluating)
Opportunity for: Residential Aged Care Providers (VIC/SA Preferred)
Partnering with: Technology Provider
Opportunity for a residential aged care provider (located anywhere in Australia, preference for providers based in Victoria and South Australia) to partner with a technology provider to trial the use of an innovative software solution to bring families, care providers and doctors together to champion an improved person-centred care approach. The software allows care providers to share inbuilt interactive forms, based on new aged care standards compliance, with the families. Through this technology, care providers and managers will be able to monitor the escalation of clinical deterioration in residential aged care facilities in a more cost and time effective way, reducing the administrative workload of clinical staff.
The pilot study is aimed at investigating user experience, user interface effectiveness, and improving customer satisfaction.
This multiplatform tool works on mobile app and desktop web and does not require in-house IT support for implementation. The technology provider will set up all relevant data for the software, provide on-site training, and video assisted training to ensure effective implementation across the aged care provider’s organisation. Ongoing support is also provided during trial period. The technology provider will conduct a post-trial customer satisfaction survey and share the outcome with the partner organisation to assist with their decision-making process. By partnering, the aged care provider will get the product almost free of cost post-trial period, which includes the implementation fee and staff training sessions.
Email Reference Stakeholder Interaction and Compliance
Opportunity for: Aged Care Providers (Adelaide Based)
Partnering with: Technology Provider
Opportunity for aged care providers (South Australia – Adelaide) to partner with a technology provider to trial the use of a new technological solution that provides unique indoor air and surface sanitising. The technology makes a significant impact on reducing the transmission of viruses and bacteria. Having been successful in their application for the Industry Growth Programme, the technology provider is submitting a second application titled “Cooperative Research Centres Project Grant” that has direct application to “preventing a disease”. Flinders University is a partner for this application.
The primary aim of the technology is to create a cleaner, healthier, odourless environment for clients, staff, and visitors while being a highly effective, cost-efficient pandemic defence solution.
The technology provider is looking for innovative aged care providers, ideally based in Adelaide, to work with them on some small-scale field studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology in the aged care environment. The trial would involve the setup of a pre-study baseline database and installing the devices in several ‘typical’ facilities. Over the trial period (estimated 3 months), the provider would run live and blind trials to monitor device status, baseline influences and results in real time. Engagement in the practicality and logistics during the design of the study would be requested.
Email Reference Air and Surface Sanitisation
Opportunity for: Residential and Community Aged Care Provider (Victoria)
Partnering with: Technology Provider
Opportunity for a Victorian-based residential and community aged care provider to participate in a Governance, Risk & Compliance pilot. The pilot will explore the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help providers meet, and exceed, government regulations seamlessly through a comprehensive, 4 level evidence framework.
By participating in this pilot, the aged care provider will gain access to cutting-edge technology designed to streamline compliance processes, ensuring the highest standards of care while optimising operational efficiency. Foundation pricing and ongoing support will also be available to the participating partner.
Key staff from the partner provider will participate in discovery sessions to help 'sense check' the Governance, Risk & Compliance functionality. They will also provide feedback on the user experience in mobile gathering of evidence from clients, family members, and employees. The pilot will also investigate the capabilities of the user experience and user interface to enhance person-centred care, improve care quality and workforce capability while significantly reducing IT and administration costs.
Email Reference Technology for Governance, Risk & Compliance
Opportunity for: Community Aged Care Provider (Providing Home Care Services)
Partnering with: Technology Provider
Opportunity for a community-based aged care provider to partner with an Australian based technology company that offers cognitive skills training. The technology provider is looking for Community Aged Care Providers who are interested in a project exploring how their platform can help empower older adults to remain independent in their homes for longer.
Age related decline in everyday memory function will eventually lead to a loss of independence for older adults. More so, older adults experience few opportunities to improve technological literacy or regularly meet other individuals. We are looking to partner with aged care companies who are interested in exploring:
- How group-based cognitive skills training can be utilised with older populations to help improve everyday memory function, technology use, and social support.
- How memory skills training can be integrated into current services being offered by aged care organisations to generate additional revenue.
This opportunity is perfect for any aged care organisation who employs an in-house (or via external contract) Occupational Therapist who can deliver the program. By partnering via the Innovator Training Program, funding can be provided to support project costs, train staff, and measure outcomes.
Email Reference Cognitive skills training
Opportunity for: Aged Care Provider (Home Care Services, located anywhere in Australia)
Partnering with: Technology Provider
Opportunity for an aged care provider (providing home care, located anywhere in Australia) to partner with a technology provider to pilot an innovative AI assistant. This technology aims to streamline care management and empower older people and their representatives. Features of the assistant include separate customer, worker, and care manager portals, with information available in different languages. The platform automates many administrative functions related to care management, scheduling, payroll, compliance, budgets, statements, self-management of packages, and can provide information e.g. inclusion criteria for purchasing equipment. The pilot project aims to commence in April 2024, commencing with a select group of customers, representatives, and workforce for approximately 90 days, with providers having free access to the technology. Providers will be supported with training, regular check-ins and will meet with the technology provider to provide feedback and insights.
Email Reference Home Care AI Assistant
Opportunity for: Aged Care Provider (Residential, Nationwide)
Partnering with: Technology Provider
Opportunity for an aged care provider (residential, nationwide) to support a technology provider in the co-design of an innovative solution to determine risk of an outbreak using sensors to detect pathogens. The technology can identify pathogens present, as well as viral load. The technology provider would like to work with providers to ensure the technology can integrate seamlessly into daily routines, with further opportunity to be part of a trial. The initial codesign can occur online, with the time commitment consisting of an initial consultation meeting, followed by several follow-up meetings. Participating organisations may be offered heavily subsidised or free access to this technology.
Email Reference Technology for infection control and outbreaks
Opportunity for: Aged Care Provider (Providing Home Care Services or Residential)
Partnering with: Research Organisation and Diagnostics Company
Opportunity for a residential or community based aged care provider to partner with a research organisation and a new Australian-based diagnostic company that offers implementation and evaluation of a new point-of-care testing (POCT) device. The state-of-the-art POCT device is TGA approved and can perform up to 150 tests in approximately 15 minutes. The suite of tests available includes pathology profiles for general health, cardiac, renal, pulmonary, hepatic, endocrine and respiratory markers as well as derived indices. Tests are performed on a fingerpick of blood, a drop of urine, or other bodily fluids, including breath and saliva. The providers are seeking a partner organisation in the aged care sector (public or private) with a state-wide or national focus to trial/pilot this device under an assisted training and quality management system, targeting clinical needs and customised reporting. This project is ideal for aged care providers who have nurse-led care and would like to explore the benefits of introducing POCT technology, focusing on the clinical, operational, and cost benefits, particularly around avoidance of unnecessary ambulance transport to a tertiary hospital.
Email Reference: Point-of-Care Testing
Opportunity for: Aged Care Provider (Providing Home Care Services or Residential)
Partnering with: Technology Provider
Opportunity for an aged care provider to partner with a technology provider that has developed software using AI that automates the ability to identify and highlight gaps in documentation, allowing the user to spend less time on gathering data and more time addressing these gaps. This product has been used in a workplace health and safety setting, and they are looking for an aged care partner to further develop this technology.
Email Reference: Automating Compliance
Opportunity for: Aged Care Provider (Community, Home Care and Residential)
Partnering with: Technology Provider
Opportunity for aged care providers across Australia who are interested in partnering with a technology provider focussed on maximising workforce effectiveness by analysing the organisation's effort and workforce outcomes. The technology illuminates the efficacy of planning decisions to pinpoint when, where and why the rostering of your workforce is efficient/inefficient. Interested partners will take part in a trial to create an initial 'snapshot' diagnosis where a forecast can be made to determine gaps to improve service delivery. Partnership opportunities are available now and requires approximately a 3-hour time commitment.
Email Reference: Forecasting workforce effectiveness
Opportunity for: Aged Care Provider (Providing Home Care Services or Residential)
Partnering with: Technology Provider
Opportunity for an aged care provider (home care or residential) to partner with an Australian technology provider concerned with energy solutions. The pilot program is an opportunity to monitor and demystify energy use at your site using real time data. From here, electricity usage can be optimised, and potential cost savings identified. As a partner, you'll gain access to detailed energy usage for your site, free of charge, for the duration of the pilot. Actively participate in the pilot program by co-designing the product for use in aged care, provide feedback, and influence the future of energy solutions while enjoying the benefits of reduced costs. This is an opportunity to create a more sustainable and efficient future.
Email Reference Cost saving energy solutions towards carbon zero
Opportunity for: Aged Care Partner (Any State or Territory, Residential and/or Providing Home Care Packages. Preference for those who provide services to CALD communities.)
Partnering with: Research Organisation
An opportunity for an Aged Care Partner (Residential or Home Care Package) to partner with a research organisation to understand the impact of technology on the quality of lives of older Australians, identify the problems associated with using various services, and recommend some strategies or solution approaches to resolve the issues. The project will also explore the disparities in the use of technology among older Australians of culturally diverse backgrounds and help develop a novel technology solution for home-based aged care for diverse ethnic communities to upskill their IT skills and to be able to stay connected.
Email Reference Bridging digital inequality
Opportunity for: Aged Care Partner (Residential or Providing Home Care Packages throughout QLD, NSW, VIC or SA)
Partnering with: Research Organisation and Technology Provider
An opportunity for an Aged Care Partner (Residential or Home Care Package) to pilot use of a robot for care, companionship and capacity building. Researchers would like to expand their evidence by piloting within residential aged care facilities as well as within older people's homes with people receiving in-home care. Measures to be evaluated for providers include optimisation of resources, customer satisfaction, cost savings through scalability, benefits to customer emotional wellbeing and benefits to workforce. This robot was developed by researchers at a leading Australian university over 10 years ago and significant research and testing has been conducted, showing positive results. It has multiple capabilities, such as social and emotional connection, inclusive learning, health status monitoring and alerts, telehealth/video calls, translation services, and can be used with individuals and groups.
Email Reference Technology for Social Care
Opportunity for: Community or Residential Aged Care Provider and Researcher
Partnering with: Protective Equipment Provider (QLD)
Opportunity for a community or residential aged care provider and researcher to partner with a Queensland company specialising in hip protectors to minimise head of femur fractures. This company has developed discrete, low profile hip protection that moulds to the body of the wearer and provides safeguarding in case of falling. This hip protector is European certified to reduce impact and prevent injury in high impact sports. The potential project would trial the hip protector and its use for older people living in residential care and/or people receiving community aged care.
Email Reference Hip protection from impact of falls
Opportunity for: Community or Residential Aged Care Provider and Researcher
Partnering with: Technology Provider
Opportunity for a community or residential aged care provider and researcher to partner with a Singaporean company specialising in robotic humanoids for Dementia to co-create and localise content/programming that will be of great benefit to older Australians. The implementation timeline will be tailored accordingly to do a proper evaluation with the partner organisation. Possible start date is from late 2024.
The social Robotics & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Humanoid can provide consistent engagement and therapy through its 4 main competencies: exercise, sing-along, cognitive group games and conversation. The robot is currently commercially available in Singapore and deployed in multiple residential facilities and hospitals. As a part of the trial, the robot would be deployed in a residential care organisation in Australia, with the opportunity to co-develop programming and optics (voice, look, mannerism etc.) to localise it for efficiency and eventual distribution for older persons living in residential care and/or receiving community aged care.
The project would focus on a pre-implementation study of a control group of residents for 4 weeks without the use of the robot and another sample group utilising the robot daily in accordance with the organisation’s daily routine. The study aims to show the robot’s effectiveness in dementia care intervention and improving overall cognitive and emotional wellbeing. The technology provider is keen to work collaboratively with the researcher/aged care organisation to co-develop relevant programming or relevant customisations for appearance, voice and language.
Email Reference Dementia Intervention Proof of Concept (Research)
Opportunity for: Community or Residential Aged Care Provider and Researcher
Partnering with: Protective Equipment Provider (QLD)
Opportunity for a community or residential aged care provider and researcher to partner with a Queensland company specialising in hip protectors to minimise head of femur fractures. This company has developed discrete, low profile hip protection that moulds to the body of the wearer and provides safeguarding in case of falling. This hip protector is European certified to reduce impact and prevent injury in high impact sports. The potential project would trial the hip protector and its use for older people living in residential care and/or people receiving community aged care.
Email Reference Hip protection from impact of falls
No current partnering opportunities.
Further information
If you would like to make an enquiry about participating in the Aged Care Partnering Program, please contact us via our online enquiry form or contact us direct at acpp@ariia.org.au.