Overcoming Seasonal Challenges

Business Innovation Challenge

This challenge invites participants to propose innovative solutions—digital or otherwise—that help Northern Territory (NT) businesses overcome the seasonal downturns and volatility during the wet season, which impacts supply chains, customer access and workforce availability. The goal is to help businesses better prepare for these times, and transform these periods into opportunities for growth instead.

Registration closes on 25 Sep 2025

During the wet season, NT businesses face a unique set of challenges. Roads may become impassable, deliveries are delayed, foot traffic drops, and staffing becomes unpredictable. These conditions threaten business continuity, limit growth opportunities, and add long-term operational strain. Participant are challenged to develop transformative and forward-thinking strategies that directly address the real-world constraints faced by NT businesses and aim to (but are not limited to):

Reach customers beyond the immediate geographic region.
Improve operational efficiency during off-peak or disrupted seasons.
Enable remote or virtual service delivery to ensure continuity regardless of location or weather.
Adapt business models to respond effectively to seasonal patterns and long-term sustainability.

Participants are encouraged to consider the unique economic challenges faced by businesses and develop strategies that address these challenges.

Think beyond traditional apps — what could truly transform how business is done in the NT?

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO?

Stand out by submitting your most innovative project ideas / proposal / prototype to be evaluated by a panel of industry experts. Your solution should address one or more of the challenges described above.

Your team must pitch your work to a panel of judges on the Challenge Day listed below.

DURATION: 10 minutes pitching + 5 mins Q&A per team

Submission Deadline
26 Sep 2025 (end of day)
You must submit your work in progress via the link you received in your email at the time of registration.
DO NOT submit your work via email.

Challenge Day
01 Oct 2025, 09:00 – 17:00
Festival Learning Space 1.12, Danala | ECP, Darwin
Charles Darwin University

Eligibility

All students who are currently enrolled on CDU’s Information Technology coursework programs (undergraduate, postgraduate, TAFE, short courses)

Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students are not eligible to participate.

Judging Criteria

Students will be required to present how they approached this challenge, their ideas, and/or designs. Submissions will be judged according to several criteria: problem-solving impact, technological innovation, scalability, user experience, ethical considerations and presentation.

First winner and runner up will be selected.