CivVic Labs

How might technology transform Victoria’s tourism, hospitality and events experiences?

We are seeking solutions from Victorian startups looking to transform tourism, hospitality and events experiences within Victoria, particularly focusing on regional destinations.

Technology solutions may look to focus on:

• Creating new visitor experiences or optimising the experience of existing attractions;

• Helping operators evolve the way they manage their business and engage customers;

• Increasing accessibility and safety of Victorian experiences for people of all identities, cultures and abilities;

• Supporting operators to better prepare for and manage crises;

• Capturing and using data to better understand, manage and grow visitation;

• Making it easier for visitors to discover and travel to attractions, venues and regions; and

• Any other technology that could transform the way people experience travel, tourism and hospitality in Victoria

Read more in the Program Guidelines. 

LaunchVic is seeking to admit 10 startups or startup entrepreneurs to the program.

There is no fee for participation. Rather, participant teams will receive $12,500 equity-free funding on completion of the program.

The program is structured to cover topics such as lean startup, co-design, and hypothesis testing, delivered by startup experts. The program is designed to assist innovators in their solution design in the following ways:

• Access to world-class mentors and a cohort of top innovators to build a solution alongside;

• Access to community and stakeholder experts, with specific knowledge of tourism, events and hospitality, policy, and customer base; and

• The potential of promotional support from DJSIR and LaunchVic highlighting innovative startup solutions

At the conclusion of the program, a judging panel will select two startups to receive $25,000 in equity-free seed funding to further develop their solution.

Successful applicants are expected to attend the program in person for seven days of programming over 6 weeks, the Pitch Day and Showcase Event (see Program Guidelines) as well as commit to additional work outside of sessions to progress their ideas.

CivVic Labs is the perfect sandbox for aspiring or early-stage founders to build and test new solutions. All participants will be either idea stage or early-stage to ensure their journey is with like-minded entrepreneurs. We’re looking for ambitious founders who recognise the value of CivVic Labs to help accelerate their startup journey.

All CivVic Labs related enquiries can be directed to civvic@launchvic.org 

LaunchVic does not provide specific direction on how funding should be allocated. However, there will reporting requirements for the startups to demonstrate how funding is being allocated. All expectations surrounding the funding will be articulated in a contract between LaunchVic and the startup (separate from the contract signed for participating in the program).

Subject matter experts will cover a range of topics across both startup-building knowledge (such as pitching, customer insights, and business structures) and industry/policy knowledge.

LaunchVic is seeking to admit 10 startups or startup entrepreneurs to the program. There is no fee for participation. Rather, participant teams will receive $12,500 equity-free funding on completion of the program. 2 Startups will receive a further $25,000 in seed funding to build out their solution.

Startups participating in CivVic Labs will need to allocate time outside of the 6 weeks for orientation prior to the program starting, and in between sessions to iterate based on feedback they receive during sessions. You may also have the opportunity to participate in office hours outside the program days. The minimum suggested additional time to allocate is three hours per week.

We recommend that teams limit the number of attendees to 3, to maximise the learning opportunity for all participants.

CivVic Labs helps founders launch their idea, or go full time on their idea by providing seed-funding whilst building alongside subject matter experts, to fast track your problem solution fit. At the conclusion of the program 2 teams are awarded further seed funding. The ideal founder profile is someone who has an idea, all the way through to someone with a very early product in market. If that is you, and you have a strong interest in the challenge statement, then you are absolutely the right stage to apply and you will benefit from CivVic Labs.

CivVic Labs is designed to help passionate founders apply innovative thinking to some of the state’s most pressing challenges. There are 3 reasons you should launch your startup within the CivVic program:

Fast-track problem solution fit: CivVic brings together a network of both subject matter experts related to the challenge and startup experts;

Seed-funding: The program is completely free, and you will receive seed-funding to participate in the program. Multiple teams will receive further seed funding at the end of the program.

A proven model: Alumni startups like People in Paddocks, InternMatch and HAL Systems were developed within CivVic Labs, going on to to become thriving startups.

Each Challenge is held at a different venue, but generally they are in the Melbourne CBD or inner suburbs.

The exact application process may vary depending on the challenge requirements. Generally though the process has four stages that run over a two month period:

Expression of interest: Submit your details to register your interest in the program

Application stage: Complete an application form and short video

Interview stage: Submission is reviewed and an online interview is conducted to select the successful applicants

Contracting stage: Successful applicants are required to enter a contract with LaunchVic

You will need to attend all sessions including the final showcase event. You will also need to send an invoice at the conclusion of the program.

Each startup selected for CivVic Labs will receive a $12,500 grant. 2 Startups will receive a further $25,000 in seed funding to build out their solution.

No, the funding provided in CivVic Labs is equity-free. The money will be processed as a grant, with required milestones needing to be met to receive the funding.