First seen at the APA’s 2019 national conference, the Physiotherapy Research Foundation’s Physio Pitchfest is a competitive showcase for physiotherapists with innovative ideas and solutions addressing unmet clinical need, advancing practice or improving patient wellbeing. 

Participants each have three minutes and eight slides to ‘pitch’ their idea to the judges and the audience. 

The recipient of the Physio Pitchfest Judges’ Award will take home $15,000 to put towards further development and marketing of their product or service and the People’s Choice Award winner will receive $4000. 

Past winning ideas have included a hand brace to aid patients in stretching into supination and pronation, an app to assist researchers with screening articles for systematic reviews, an app to manage falls in residential aged care, an adaptor allowing walking sticks to stick to surfaces for easy access, an app for assessing spasticity, a training program for manual handling on the beach and an app for patients with endometriosis preparing for surgery. 

Dr Melissa McConaghy, an APA Board member and chair of the judging panel for 2025, says audiences can expect to see some fantastic presentations at this year’s Pitchfest, noting that the calibre of entrants gets stronger every year. 

Physiotherapist and APA board member Melissa McConaghy is chair of the 2025 Pitchfest judging panel.

‘Physiotherapists are natural problem-solvers and Pitchfest provides an excellent opportunity to shine. 

‘I’m expecting some great presentations and really looking forward to the event.’

 This year six applicants have been shortlisted from the entries received. 

Melissa says that the judges look for applications that clearly articulate a problem, offer a novel and innovative solution and demonstrate a pathway to implementation. 

‘We’re looking for bold ideas with real-world impact. 

‘We want to see evidence of clinical relevance, scalability and a deep understanding of the physiotherapy landscape. 

‘The best pitches don’t just innovate; they inspire.’ 

Being shortlisted is just one step in the journey. 

The chosen applicants then need to hone their pitch, making sure they respond to the feedback provided by the judging panel in addition to finessing the delivery. 

At Pitchfest, the judges don’t just score the merits of the project; they take into account how well the applicant pitches their idea. 

‘We want to see passion, innovation, clinical reasoning and the ability to communicate the value of the innovation to a live audience. 

‘The final pitch is as much about the delivery on the day as it is about the product.’ 

Melissa says it will be a hard task for the panel this year. 

‘That’s the beauty of Pitchfest. 

‘It is exciting to see so much innovation across so many areas within the profession. 

‘Our job as judges is to assess each pitch on its own merit: its originality, feasibility, scalability and potential to transform physiotherapy practice. 

‘We look for well-thought-out applications that we think will have an impact.’ 

>> Physio Pitchfest will be held on Friday 24 October at 8.30 am.

Click here for more information about APASC25.