Ardonagh Community Trust (ACT), the charitable arm of The Ardonagh Group, launched the 2026 Bright Future Prize and is inviting young people aged 15–21 from Australia and beyond with inspiring ideas to spearhead positive change.
Through this annual youth bursary prize already 45+ young people representing countries across the globe have been supported with over $370,000 to invest in their winning projects.
The Ardonagh Group is the parent company of The Envest Group and through its global network, ACT is able to boost the charitable endeavours of colleagues to make a difference to communities around the world.
The 2026 Bright Future Prize will award funding across four categories:
- Your Community: Projects addressing societal issues, education, health, or wellbeing within local communities.
- Your Planet: Environment-focused initiatives that tackle climate change, promote sustainable living, or enhance green spaces.
- Your Vision: Technology and entrepreneurship-driven ideas designed to foster positive change.
- Your Passion: Projects that improve access to sports, arts, music and other cultural endeavours to promote inclusivity and accessibility.
The winners of each category will share the total $80,000 prize fund.
Participants can apply via an online form on on the ACT website.
Ashley Hammond, Head of Charity and Community at The Ardonagh Group added: “Since the launch of Bright Future Prize in 2021, we have empowered over 45 young people worldwide. Reaching from Brazil to Australia, we have had the privilege of supporting these aspiring young leaders to launch projects ranging from sustainable technology solutions to mental health initiatives and youth festivals. It is both humbling and awe inspiring to see the impact that young people are making in their local communities.”
Now in its fifth year, the prize has supported several inspirational young people from Australia. 2024 saw Chloe McCormick from Victoria won in the Your Planet category with her CodeGreen project, which sought to upskill children in coding to solve challenges connected to climate change.
Chloe McCormick
Whilst in 2025, Sydney-based Kanisk Aggarwal was selected as the winner of the Your Vision category. A computer engineering student, Kanishk used his passion for science and healthcare to come up with innovative health diagnostics technology to improve care at home.
Kanisk Aggarwal
Ardonagh Australia Chairman and ACT Trustee, Paul Lynam, commented:
"It’s inspiring to be part of an insurance group with a charitable mission. Not only does ACT support causes around the world, through Bright Future we have a unique opportunity to invest in the next generation – helping them to make a difference to the people, communities and wider world around them. As Envest, with businesses across Australia and New Zealand, I’m incredibly proud of the contribution our colleagues right across the country make to our communities. We know through our work that there are so many young people out there with bright ideas. So, if you are aged 15-21 and have project idea ready to take to the next level, or you know someone who has, apply on the ACT website to be in with a chance of securing what could be dream-making funding.”
Applications remain open and will close on Sunday, 1 March. They can be submitted by young people – individually or as a group – based in any country where The Ardonagh Group operates, including Angola, Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Brazil, Brussels, Chile, Cyprus, Dubai, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Malaysia, Malta, Mozambique, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and USA.
NOTES TO EDITORS
For more information on this press release please contact: info@ardonaghtrust.org
ABOUT ACT
ACT is the independent registered charity through which The Ardonagh Group conducts its community-focused charitable activities, with a commitment to creating brighter futures. To date, together with colleagues, partners and friends, the Trust has raised £6 million and contributed to over 1,000 charitable causes globally, made possible by Ardonagh’s 12,000-strong network of employees across the world. For further information, visit ardonaghtrust.org or follow ACT on Instagram and Facebook: @ardonaghct
THE ARDONAGH GROUP
The Ardonagh Group is one of the world’s largest independent insurance distribution platforms and a top 20 global broker. Ardonagh is a collection of best-in-class entrepreneurial and specialist brands with a combined workforce of over 12,000 colleagues and a network spanning 200+ locations in more than 30 countries.
Across our portfolio, we offer a highly diversified range of insurance-related products and services across the full insurance value chain globally. From complex multinational corporations to individuals purchasing personal insurance policies, our understanding of the communities we serve, together with our scale and breadth, allows us to work with our insurer partners to deliver a broad range of product and risk solutions that meet customer needs.
ENVEST GROUP
The Envest Group is a diversified insurance investment and distribution business headquartered across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. As the Australasia growth platform for one of the world’s leading independent insurance distribution platforms, The Ardonagh Group, Envest leverages the strength of its people and its network to deliver creative, customer focused insurance solutions across the region.
With a portfolio of more than 50 Australian and New Zealand insurance brands—including the Aviso Group, PSC Insurance Brokers, Resilium, and 14 specialist underwriting agencies—Envest provides trusted advice and service to more than 450,000 customers. The Group manages $4.2 billion in Gross Written Premiums and employs more than 2,000 staff across 65 office locations.
Through strategic investment, operational expertise and a commitment to long term value creation, Envest brings together industry leading talent and entrepreneurial businesses to build a stronger, more dynamic insurance ecosystem for clients, partners and investors.
