FY2025 Annual Report
Critical AI infrastructure for Noosa’s next decade
The Hub operated at full capacity, activated 2,500+ residents, and attracted significant co-investment to scale regional innovation.
FY2025 performance highlights
Demand for the Peregian Digital Hub’s programs and workspace remained at record levels while external partnerships multiplied Council’s investment.
72
active members across 25 companies
100%
office + desk occupancy throughout FY2025
2,500+
people engaged via Hub programs and events
$500k+
external funding secured (Advance QLD, RDA, Arts QLD, Bendigo)
Executive summary
Economic infrastructure delivering measurable impact
The Hub served as a centrepiece for regional AI adoption, startup acceleration, and community readiness. Youth pathways, business enablement, and industry meetups produced tangible outcomes including university placements, paid cadetships, and production-ready AI workflows.
-
Founder & business growth
Flexible and full-time memberships stayed at capacity with a surge of AI-native ventures such as Mulga and globally-scaling tenants like Zitcha.
-
Program reach
Inventors Club, AI & Screen Cadetships, Tokenizer, Digital Leaders, and Vibecamp together supported more than 2,500 participants with top-decile satisfaction scores.
-
Partnership leverage
$300k from Advance Queensland, $197.5k for Firetech Connect’s FATM pilot, and added funding from Arts Queensland, RDA MBSC and Bendigo Community Bank extended Council’s investment without extra ratepayer cost.
-
Financial momentum
Net operating position for FY26 improved by 8% through membership revenue strength and operational efficiencies, setting up the Hub for expansion planning.
Memberships
Purpose-built community for AI-first founders
48 flex members and 24 full-time desk holders maximised the Hub’s footprint. Demand held strong despite global tech volatility, with a wave of applied-AI companies joining to leverage the AI Lab.
Member spotlight
Mulga — resilient defence communications
Local founder Ben Duncan is building high-value defence technology at the Hub, showing how regional talent is tackling complex national challenges.
Office rentals
Full tenancy with scale-up trajectories
All four offices remained tenanted. Zitcha evolved from a solo founder onsite to a global adtech company headquartered in Los Angeles, and Council has engaged Colliers to backfill the departing space without revenue loss.
4
offices tenanted
2
FTE staff + traineeship supporting delivery
Program portfolio
Targeted pathways from classrooms to boardrooms
Each initiative meets a specific community need—AI literacy for businesses, industry-grade training for youth, and support for residents adopting new technology.
Uplift
AI enablement for Sunshine Coast SMEs.
- 40 business leaders, 1,500+ employees represented
- 4.6/5 satisfaction, +63 NPS
- Second cohort launching November 2025
Tokenizer
Flagship AI skills development for founders, creatives, and professionals.
- Technical series builds production-ready agent workflows
- AI Bootcamp for Creatives rated 4.55/5 (50+ artists)
- Vibecamp hackathon earned perfect 5.0 satisfaction
Youth pathways
Inventors Club plus AI & Screen Cadetships engaged 178 students, opening head starts into engineering, CS, and paid industry gigs.
- Graduates accepted into top universities
- Students contributing to professional productions
Community & industry
80 Digital Leaders sessions guided 399 residents, Suncoast Angels hosted four pitch nights, and Sunshine Coast Screen Collective grew to 400 paid members.
- 28 professional meetups, 1,000+ attendees
- State-scale events like Vibecamp delivered flawlessly
FY2025 in pictures
Scenes from a packed Hub calendar
From youth builds and industry mixers to Tokenizer residencies, the Hub’s spaces stayed alive with collaboration.
Tokenizer
SMB leaders prototyping AI workflows
Youth pathways
Inventors Club builds
Screen collective
400+ creatives sharing projects
Community
Digital Leaders & meetup circuit
Partnership leverage
Scaling impact without increasing the ratepayer burden
Strategic alliances keep the Hub’s AI Lab and community programs accessible while expanding the region’s innovation credentials.
Advance Queensland
$300k
Regional Enablers Program funding
Firetech Connect
$197.5k
FATM pilot investment
Industry backers
Support from RDA MBSC, Arts Queensland, and Bendigo Community Bank keeps specialised cohorts funded and equitable.
Sunshine Coast Screen Collective membership surpassed 400 paid creatives, funnelling more productions into the region.
Ecosystem ripple effects
- â—ŹSuncoast Angels pitch events connected 100+ investors with emerging ventures.
- ●Vibecamp showcased the Hub’s ability to host state-level innovation competitions with perfect attendee scores.
- â—ŹCommunity support programs accelerated digital adoption for 399 residents.
Partnership call
Partner with the Hub for FY2026 delivery
Help expand the AI Lab footprint, co-design Tokenizer accelerators, or underwrite youth pathways so every Noosa resident can access future-ready skills.
Financial snapshot
Net position improved by 8% heading into FY26
Membership revenue of $115,519 during July–October 2025 keeps the Hub on track to meet full-year targets. Materials and services savings plus program-backed funding reduce the net operating loss to $256k.
Budget delta
+$23k
Improvement vs FY24-25 net loss
Membership YTD
$115,519
Revenue collected in first four months
Operating efficiency
Reduced AI Lab opex delivered savings across materials & services as the facility hit stride.
| Financial statement | Full year budget | Actuals YTD | Budget YTD | YTD variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sale of goods & services | $318,902 | $77,495 | $79,725 | ($2,231) |
| Grants & subsidies | $187,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Contributions & donations | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other recurrent income | $14,000 | $2,250 | $3,500 | ($1,250) |
| Rental & levies | $112,409 | $18,739 | $28,102 | ($9,363)Âą |
| Total revenue | $642,811 | $98,484 | $111,328 | ($12,844) |
| Employee benefits | $404,334 | $98,769 | $103,143 | $4,374 |
| Materials & services | $335,555 | $48,737 | $55,566 | $6,829² |
| Depreciation & amortisation | $141,905 | $35,476 | $35,476 | $0 |
| Other expenses | $1,755 | $306 | $577 | $271 |
| Internal charges | $103,915 | $26,341 | $26,292 | ($49) |
| Total expense | $987,463 | $209,628 | $221,054 | $11,426 |
| Total surplus / (deficit) | ($344,652) | ($111,144) | ($109,726) | ($1,418) |
¹ Colliers engaged to assign the vacated Zitcha office and maintain revenue continuity. ² First full year of AI Lab operations provided cost clarity, driving savings across materials and services.
Facilities
AI Lab fully utilised
Preferred venue for tech programs with HVAC replacement ($89k) underway to protect continuity. Capital expenditure planning begins FY26.
Team
Lean staffing with talent pipeline
Two FTE deliver all programs with a 12-month traineeship launched April 2025 to create local careers while supporting operations.
Outlook
FY26 growth priorities
Focus on AI adoption, spatial computing, and robotics. Physical expansion planning is underway via a public-private partnership that would extend the Hub precinct.
Social return on investment
$4.8M+ annual value validated, with an update underway
The 2021 independent SROI study confirmed $4.8M in social and economic benefits, including 41.5 jobs created, $7.8M in new digital products, and measurable skills gains—all from roughly $150k in Council operating investment. Expanded programs, AI Lab activation, and industry traction indicate significantly higher value today.
A refreshed SROI evaluation in 2026 will quantify the uplift, inform expansion decisions, and capture the Hub’s growing contribution to Noosa’s economy.