90,000 Reasons Why You Should Apply To The Peter Farrell Cup In 2026
It’s not about having a perfect idea, it's about building the foundation to take any idea further.
Across six weeks of workshops, the Peter Farrell Cup takes current UNSW students through the steps of how to test, refine, and pitch the best startup idea with the greatest impact.
The Peter Farrell Cup is the flagship entrepreneurship competition, designed to help UNSW students turn innovative ideas into real-world startups. Named after entrepreneur Peter Farrell, the program provides mentoring, networking and pitching opportunities, encouraging all students to develop their own commercially viable businesses and startups.
The best Peter Farrell Cup applications don’t need to “have it all figured out.”
They just need an idea worth exploring.
So… who can apply to the Peter Farrell Cup ?
Any current UNSW student, undergrad, post grad or HDR from any faculty or campus.
Engineering? Yep.
ADA? Absolutely.
Business? Of course.
Medicine, Law, Science, Canberra? Also yes.
The Peter Farrell Cup is designed to be the support and spring board for all students who consider themselves curious creatives, maybe even side-hustlers, of course you’re a problem-solver, or anyone who’s ever thought “wait… this could actually work”.
What will you get from the program?
Dedicated mentors + industry connections
Get feedback and support from founders, innovators, and industry professionals.
Pitching experience
Learn how to communicate your ideas with confidence (a genuinely useful life skill).
Momentum
A lot of students walk into PFC with “just an idea” and leave with way more confidence, direction, and opportunities.
The Peter Farrell Cup 2026 program timeline
The 90,000 reasons you should apply?
The Peter Farrell Cup teaches you the skills to build a business and then gives you the funds to actually bring it to life!
But also backs your continued progress with equity free cash prizes to help fund the business growth.
The Official 2026 PFC Prizes - is up to $90,000AUD!
1st Prize for Undergrad Student Startups:
Next Big Thing Award - $10,000
1st Prize for Postgrad and HDR Startups:
Trailblazer Award - $10,000
2nd Place - $4,000
People’s Choice - $1,000
Specity Awards:
Social Enterprise Awards - $10,000 (prize pool made up of multiple awards)
JEINA Awards - $30,000 (prize pool made up of multiple awards)
Dedicated Faculty Awards:
Dean of Science Award - $5,000
Dean of Medicine & Health Award - $5,000
Dean of Business Award - $5,000
Dean of Arts, Design + Architecture Award - $5,000
Dean of Engineering Award - $5,000
This year’s special collab: JEINA
This year, PFC is proud to partner with JEINA to support women building ideas with purpose, creativity, and impact.
JEINA is a UNSW initiative empowering women from forced migration backgrounds through education, entrepreneurship, mentorship, and career opportunities. Focused on inclusion and impact, JEINA helps create pathways for women to build confidence, community, and future careers.
At its core, this collaboration is about backing innovation that comes from lived experience, research, and a drive to create real world change, particularly within STEMM at UNSW.
Open to current and past STEMM Champions participants and applicants, students simply need to apply to the Peter Farrell Cup to be considered for this prize pool.
The Peter Farrell Cup also reserves the right to consider outstanding applicants who have not participated in the STEMM Champions program, provided they are within STEMM disciplines at UNSW and identify as migrant or refugee women.
Because innovation isn’t only about startups and spreadsheets.
It often starts with; a frustration, a personal or lived experience, research insights, or a “this could be done better” moment.
Through this special Peter Farrell Cup x JEINA partnership, we’re supporting pathways for women to develop their entrepreneurial skills, strengthen their ideas, and turn research and experience into meaningful impact.
Why students love PFC?
Because it’s not about being “the next unicorn startup.”
It’s about learning by doing, testing and failing, meeting ambitious people, building confidence so you can start backing yourself a little more than you did before.
You might walk in with an idea.
You’ll leave with skills, connections, and a story worth telling.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to finally explore your idea… this, is it.
Apply by 31 May 2026 and see where your ideas could go.