We believe every young person, no matter their postcode, background, or circumstances, should have the chance to turn their ideas into impact.
The Xccelerate Fund provides co-funding to help you bring The Future Anything Challenge to your school. Through this fund, we aim to:
- Remove financial barriers so more students can participate in The Future Anything Challenge.
- Prioritise equity by supporting schools working with underserved, at-risk, and underrepresented communities.
- Amplify opportunity for students to innovate, create, and lead change in their schools and communities.
- Invest in sustainable impact, helping schools build the capability and confidence to fund participation beyond the first year.
Who is eligible for funding from The Xccelerate Fund?
Thirty* Xccelerate spots are available to primary and secondary schools in 2026. To secure co-funding, schools must meet at least one of the criteria below:
- Have an ICSEA value of less than 1000 (Australian schools only). ICSEA stands for Index of Community Socio-educational Advantage. Read about it here or check your school’s ICSEA value at https://www.myschool.edu.au/
- Be a public or government school
- Be located in an inner regional, outer regional or remote location
- Support underrepresented, underserved, or at-risk young people
- Experience financial hardship or have limited resources, preventing access to extracurricular or enrichment opportunities
Demand for The Xccelerate Fund is expected to be high, so preference will be given to schools that meet multiple criteria. Schools must not have participated in Future Anything’s in-curriculum Activate program in the past three years.
How does funding from The Xccelerate Fund work?
If you’re successful in securing funding from The Xccelerate Fund, we'll provide $2,500 to go towards your first year's participation in The Future Anything Challenge.
Each Xccelerate School then co-contributes $1,250 toward their participation in The Future Anything Challenge.
If you choose to continue the program in the following year, you’ll be supported in identifying and securing funding partners. We’ll work with you to make sure this isn’t a one-off.
How do I apply for funding from The Xccelerate Fund?
When applying, we’ll ask schools to share:
- Why your school needs support from The Xccelerate Fund.
- How you’ll implement The Future Anything Challenge in your context, including stream, students, subject and timing.
- The impact you hope to achieve for your students, school, and community.
- Your readiness to deliver — including potential barriers and existing strengths.
- How you’ll sustain the program beyond your first year.
Each response is capped at 250 words and will help us understand both need and potential impact. Feel free to use dot points – and don’t overthink your responses. We’re looking for passion and potential, not polish.
Please note that all applications must include a letter of support from your Principal (or equivalent) on school letterhead confirming:
- You have leadership support for the delivery of The Future Anything Challenge
- The school commits to funding the $1,250 shortfall in Year 1
- You and your leadership understand and agree to the program participation requirements (if funding is approved)
We think every question is important. Here are the most frequently asked.
If you can't find the answer you're looking for, please reach out to our friendly team.
How many schools will be funded?
Future Anything expects to have at least thirty Xccelerate School spots for 2026, but we’re actively working with partners to unlock more opportunities.
Where does the funding for The Xccelerate Fund come from?
Firstly, Future Anything funds one Xccelerate spot for every ten new schools that register for The Future Anything Challenge.
Secondly, Future Anything partners with visionary and values-led organisations (including corporates, philanthropy, and local and state government) that are passionate about unlocking passion, potential and agency in schools that need it most.
Can multiple applications come from the same school?
Yes, Schools may submit more than one application for different cohorts within their school community. However, each application will be assessed on its own merit, and funding will not be granted to more than one submission within each school.
I’m located outside Australia. Can I apply?
Yes! For the first time, we’re inviting international schools to participate in The Future Anything Challenge. This means that international contexts are eligible for The Xccelerate Fund if they meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Are a public school
- Are located in a inner regional, outer regional or remote location
- Work primarily with underrepresented, underserved, or at-risk young people
- Experience financial hardship or have limited resources, preventing access to extracurricular or enrichment opportunities
Note: The Future Anything Challenge curriculum is in English, and internet access is required to access the resources via our online Learning Management System (LMS). Contact us if you might experience technical barriers to access.
What happens if a school can’t deliver the program after receiving funding?
We understand that unexpected challenges can arise. If your school is unable to deliver The Future Anything Challenge after being awarded funding, please contact our team immediately.
In the past, we’ve worked with schools to:
- Reschedule delivery to a later term to enable space and time for delivery.
- Realignment of delivery to different cohort of students (this could be within a different subject or year level).
- Provision of additional support to help schools overcome barriers or blockers to delivery of the program.
Our goal is always to work with you to find the best pathway forward. Where that isn’t possible, we will re-allocate the funding to another school.
Can funding be combined with other grants?
Yes. Schools are welcome to combine the Xccelerate Fund with other grants, sponsorships, or funding streams to cover their contribution or extend program delivery.
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