WSTI Community AI Talent Show

Submission link: https://www.jotform.com/build/260207412587859/publish

Show us what you've built with AI. Win prizes. Get recognized.
Have you built something cool with AI? A workflow that saves you hours? A creative project that amazes people? A tool that works and solves a real problem?

Ready to showcase your achievements and win an award? Whether you built a complex app, or agent or a simple time-saving hack, we want to see it.

WSTI is launching our first AI Talent Show—a chance for our community members to showcase their AI projects, compete for prizes, and be recognized as a "WSTI AI Talent" at our Summit Launch event on February 26.

🎯 What is this?
A 3-week showcase window where WSTI community members submit their innovative AI-powered projects. Winners will be announced live at the Western Sydney AI Innovation Summit & Hackathon Launch on February 26, with prizes totaling $5,000.
This isn't about building something from scratch in 3 weeks (though you can!). We want to see your best work—whether you built it last month, during our WSTI Project Hub sessions, or started fresh for this competition.

🎯 Key Dates

• Sun 01 Feb: Competition Opens (Register interest via RSVP, will add online submission link before 01 Feb)
• Thu 12 Feb: Project Hub Support Session #1 (Get feedback)
• Thu 19 Feb: Project Hub Support Session #2 (Final finetuning)
• Sun 22 Feb: Submissions Due (11:59 PM AEDT)
• Thu 26 Feb: Grand Finale – Finalists showcased at Summit Launch, audience votes, winners announced!

🎯 Two Categories

1. AI for Productivity: Apps, automation workflows, business tools, AI agents—anything that makes work or life more efficient.
2. AI for Creativity: Games, video content, design, music, storytelling—projects that showcase AI's creative potential.

🏆 $5,000 Prize Pool
Per Category (Productivity & Creativity):

• 🥇 1st Place: $1,200 + WSTI AI Talent Recognition
• 🥈 2nd Place: $600 + WSTI AI Talent Recognition
• 🥉 3rd Place: $300 + WSTI AI Talent Recognition

Special Award:

• 🌟 Community Impact Award ($800): Awarded to the single project (among the 6 shortlisted ones from either category) that best addresses a Western Sydney community need.

Bonus Prize:
WSTI Scholarship: winners will be awarded a prestigious 3-month WSTI AI Innovation Scholarship. This includes:

• Physical Space: A dedicated "Innovation Desk" at the Western Sydney Startup Hub powered by Spacecubed, to work on your project.
• Mentorship: Direct support from the WSTI Core Team to take your prototype to the next level.
• Community: Full access to the startup ecosystem for 3 months.

🎯 How to Enter Submit a simple 3-minute video that shows:

1. What problem your project solves.
2. How it works (quick demo).
3. What AI tools you used.
4. How AI empowered you to create it.

No fancy production needed—a screen recording with voiceover is perfect.

✅ Who Can Participate? You are eligible if you:

• Have attended at least 2 WSTI events (Project Hub, AI Lab sessions, any WSTI Meetups, Workshops, Library programs, etc.).
• Built the project primarily by yourself or your small team (max 3 people).
• Are NOT a venture-backed startup, a launched startup product, an established commercial product or built by a paid team. (This is for the WSTI community builders only!).

Judging Process

• Round 1 (Panel Review): Our panel selects top finalists based on Innovation, Impact, Execution, and Presentation.
• Round 2 (Audience Vote): Finalists are showcased at the Summit Launch on Feb 26. The community votes for the winners live!

Need Help? Join us at the AI Project Hub on Thursdays (Feb 12 & 19) for dedicated support sessions. Get feedback, troubleshoot technical issues, and connect with mentors.
Ready to showcase your talent? RSVP now to register your interest. Submission forms and upload instructions will be sent to all registered participants close to the launching date of 1st Feburary.
Questions? Email us at [general@wsti.org.au](mailto:general@wsti.org.au) with title “Re: WSTI Talent Show”
Let's show Western Sydney what our community can build!

WSTI AI Talent Show: Judging Rubric

1. AI-Empowerment & Execution (20%)

• How effectively does the project use AI to solve a problem or create art? Does it move beyond a simple prompt to a functional workflow, agent, or app? (e.g., using n8n, LLMs, or creative generators effectively).

2. Social Impact & Community Value (20%)

• Does the project benefit Western Sydney or a specific community? Does it solve a "real-world" pain point, improve accessibility, or provide a tool that helps others grow?

3. Novelty & Creative Originality (20%)

• How unique is the idea? Does it offer a fresh perspective on AI for Productivity or Creativity, or is it a common solution applied in a highly innovative way?

4. Implementation & "The Build" (20%)

• Evidence of "hands-on" work. Since this is for the "builders in the Shed," judges will look at the technical effort and the transition from a "cool idea" to a "working prototype."

5. Presentation & Storytelling (20%)

• Quality of the 3-minute video submission and the ability to explain the why (your motivation), what (your end goal), and how (your implementation) clearly to general audiences.

The submission due date on Feb 22 is coming...
Don’t let the opportunity to show your achievement slip away.
Don’t underestimate your idea and solutions while any of the four prizes are up for grabs.

This community program is proudly supported by Investment NSW, Good Things Australia and Western Sydney Startup Hub powered by Space Cubed