Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program

The Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program (AusCEP) is an industry-leading innovation accelerator based in Melbourne, Australia, dedicated to empowering clinicians with the entrepreneurial skills and networks necessary to transform healthcare from within. Inspired by the highly successful UK NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, AusCEP bridges the critical gap between clinical expertise and innovative solutions, fostering a culture of clinician-led transformation across Australia's healthcare workforce. The program targets AHPRA registered clinicians and NASRHP registered professionals, whether they are intrapreneurs within their organisations or aiming to launch their own businesses, providing a unique platform for developing groundbreaking ideas into impactful, real-world solutions.

Launched in 2022 as a pilot, AusCEP quickly gained traction, initially involving participants from Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia. The program is a collaborative effort, administered in partnership by MTPConnect and the Australian Society for Medical Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ASME), with support from key government and innovation bodies such as LaunchVic and the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation. This multi-stakeholder approach ensures that participants receive comprehensive support and access to a broad ecosystem of experts and resources. AusCEP distinguishes itself by offering a 12-month, fully subsided program designed to fit around busy clinical lifestyles, comprising eight in-person full-day workshops, online webinars, and intensive mentoring sessions.

At its core, AusCEP provides personalised guidance through one-on-one mentorship with industry experts across digital health, service delivery, and biotechnology, ensuring tailored support for each participant's innovation journey. The curriculum covers essential entrepreneurial topics including business planning, go-to-market strategies, intellectual property, customer discovery, minimum viable product development, branding, marketing, and fundraising. This holistic approach equips clinicians with the commercial acumen often not taught in traditional medical training, removing barriers to developing and scaling innovations within Australia's healthcare system. The program cultivates a supportive community, allowing like-minded clinicians to connect, share insights, and collaborate, which is crucial for navigating the often-lonely entrepreneurial path.

Under the leadership of figures like Dr Brandon Carp, National Entrepreneurial Lead, and supported by a team of experienced clinical entrepreneurs, AusCEP has achieved significant milestones since its inception. As of April 2026, over 190 clinicians have been upskilled across four cohorts, demonstrating the program's growing impact and reach. Collectively, AusCEP participants across its first three cohorts have impacted over 150,000 patients, created 86 jobs, reached more than 29,000 users with their innovations, and generated over $40 million in funding and $5 million in revenue. These achievements underscore AusCEP's effectiveness in fostering clinician-led innovations that lead to tangible improvements in patient care and healthcare system efficiencies across diverse sectors including biotechnology, AI in healthcare, digital health solutions, virtual care, and medical devices.