Catalyst Partnership Grants
Bringing big ideas to life and changing the cardiovascular landscape in Australia and beyond
Quick links
Applications for the 2024-25 Catalyst Partnership Grants are now closed.
Catalyst Partnership Grants are a novel, collaborative way of funding innovative ideas and solutions to improve heart health in Australia.
They provide the opportunity to connect innovators with investors and donors to help improve the heart health of all people in Australia.
Imagine a shark tank approach for cardiovascular health! We are excited to have uncovered big, bold ideas that have the potential to change the cardiovascular landscape in Australia and beyond.
David Lloyd
CEO, Heart Foundation
How do Catalyst Partnership Grants work?
The Catalyst Partnership Grants, launched on 27 May 2024, are awarded through a multi-step process, each backed by a robust evaluation, moderation and due diligence review.
Objectives
The objectives of Catalyst Partnership Grants are to:
.png?branch=staging){kind=icon}
|
Identify ambitious ideas that are high-impact, scalable, feasible and fundable |
|
Accelerate innovation through longer-term/high-impact investment and by fostering partnerships across multiple sectors and industries. |
.png?branch=staging){kind=icon}
|
Develop relationships and build new networks with governments, industry and the private and non-profit sectors to address contemporary topics in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of cardiovascular disease |
Our Catalyst Partners become part of the Heart Foundation’s Innovation Portfolio and will help support the realisation of the Heart Foundation’s vision to make heart health achievable by everyone in Australia by 2050.
Process
- Expressions of Interests were open to all sectors and levels of experience and expertise. Over 220 submissions were received.
- From the expressions of interest received, 60 applicants were invited to submit a Catalyst Partnership Grant Application.
- The top 20 applicants, ‘Twenty of the Best’, worked with experts to develop their pitch and presented their project to potential investors and donors at the Catalyst Showcase in March 2025.
- With the support from the Catalyst Advisors, the 10 Catalyst Partnership Grant awardees were selected. Each awardee receives $100,000 from the Heart Foundation to accelerate their idea. As a Catalyst Partner, they will partner with the Heart Foundation to help deliver their innovation, including valuable support attracting donors and funders to turn their solutions into real-world impact.
Shortlisted finalists
The 'Twenty of the Best’ finalists for the Catalyst Partnership Grants were shortlisted following a thorough evaluation, moderation, and due diligence process.
These ‘Twenty of the Best’ received support from the Heart Foundation and L.E.K. Consulting Australia to better equip them to create an impact and investment statement to maximise the potential for investment in their proposal.
At the Catalyst Showcase, they pitched their ideas to a diverse audience of investors and donors.
Catalyst Advisors
The Catalyst Advisors are individuals with highly regarded expertise and experience, who will play a key role in advising the Heart Foundation on the selection of the 10 Catalyst Partnership Grant awardees. The advisors comprise of a diverse group of local and international subject matter experts with a shared interest in cardiovascular health.
Together, they bring broad expertise across various sectors, including clinical practice, research, First Nations health, policy and implementation, digital and public health, MedTech ventures, commercialisation, global science policy and engagement. The advisors will also include individuals with lived experience, ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive perspective in shaping impactful initiatives.
Catalyst Partnership Grants awardees (Catalyst Partners)
Catalyst Partnership Grant awardees each receive $100,000 from the Heart Foundation to accelerate their project. As a Catalyst Partner, they will partner with the Heart Foundation to help deliver their innovation, including valuable support attracting donors and investors.
Over a two-year period, the Heart Foundation will:
- help seek funds to turn their solution into real-world impact
- provide support for development, delivery and/or implementation.
Meet our Catalyst Partners
Our Catalyst Partners bring forward-thinking, scalable and feasible innovations that are ready to change the landscape of heart health.
Selected from a high-calibre and competitive shortlist, these projects stood out for their bold vision, real-world potential, and ability to make a difference. More than innovations, they are powerful, fundable solutions to help save lives and shape a healthier, more equitable future.
Discover how our Catalyst Partners are seeking to make a difference to heart health in Australia and beyond.
Community, policy & implementation | Data, informatics and screening
Community, policy & implementation
Springfield Healthy Hearts: A living lab for global heart disease action
Coordinated, practical interventions across healthcare, schools, retail, community spaces and homes that embed heart health into everyday life, generating real-world evidence to inform policy and best practice.
Switch the salt to save your heart
Australians are eating too much salt, and it’s silently harming their hearts. Potassium-enriched salt looks, tastes, and cooks the same, but helps lower blood pressure and protect heart health.
Data, informatics and screening
Message from the heart: a new solution to screen for blood vessel calcification
Turning a routine bone scan into a powerful heart check. Using AI to read lateral spine images to help detect hidden calcium in arteries - spotting risk early, saving lives.
A clinical lipidomics platform for early detection of cardiovascular disease
The mCVDRisk score is a new blood test that integrates next-generation diagnostics into heart health checks to offer a clearer, more personalised picture of heart disease risk.
First Nations
Remote Laundries: building stronger communities through washing
This off-grid solution will help to ensure Remote Laundries can be delivered to any community, anywhere in Australia.
Medical devices
Heart first initiative: personalised heart health across generations, anytime, anywhere
A versatile combination of three key heart tests for personalised cardiac health monitoring right where you live.
Next-generation 3D-printed heart valves: inspired by nature, engineered for life
Created to treat aortic stenosis and other valve conditions, this durable, low-cost heart valve uses advanced 3D printing and design inspired by the body’s natural valves to offer a safer and longer-lasting solution for patients.
Hybrid 3D-printed imaging device for precision heart care
A revolutionary intravascular imaging system that uses a world-first 3D-printed micro lens-in-lens that combines high-resolution and molecular imaging techniques in one miniaturised device to enable cardiologists to detect high-risk plaques accurately.
Therapeutics
Mending our blood vessels to combat dementia
A new therapeutic ‘molecular glue’ that helps seal and repair one of the earliest changes in Alzheimer’s disease - leaky blood vessels in the brain - preventing disease progression before it’s too late.
New life for scarred hearts: regenerating the heart after a heart attack
Leveraging mRNA technology, this new kind of medicine rebuilds the heart - growing new heart cells and reducing scarring to help people recover more fully from heart attacks.
Professional consulting support
L.E.K. Consulting Australia is a global strategy consulting firm and a committed supporter of the Catalyst Partnership Grants program. It is widely recognised as a leading strategic advisor to the healthcare sector and counts the world’s largest and most influential healthcare companies among its clients. Finalists benefited from access to their expert pitch preparation support. L.E.K Consulting Australia will continue to play a role in supporting the Catalyst Partnership Grant awardees, positioning them for successful delivery of their innovation and attracting ongoing funding for long-term success.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or would like more information about Catalyst Partnership Grants, please reach out to [email protected].
You might also be interested in...
Our vision and strategy
The National Heart Foundation of Australia has developed a 25-year vision. Read our generational vision for heart health in Australia.
Catalyst Partnership Grants Showcase event
The Catalyst Partnership Grants Showcase event will unite more than 300 attendees for the first event of its kind in Australia: the hunt to find and fund game-changing innovations for heart health.
Applying for research funding with the Heart Foundation
New funding opportunities for 2025 are now available. Learn more about our funding programs, requirements, and application dates now.
The seed funding has generously been supported by the Harold Muir Charitable Foundation to whom the Heart Foundation and its Catalyst Partners are incredibly grateful.