Practitioners, researchers, community organisations and people with lived experience are invited to present in Sydney in May 2027. Submissions close 30 November 2026.
Northern Rivers Community Gateway is inviting abstracts for the 6th Financial Inclusion Conference, Bridging the Divide: Advancing Financial Inclusion, Resilience and Wellbeing. The conference runs on 5–6 May 2027 at Waterview in Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park.
Community Gateway produces the conference in partnership with the Financial Counsellors’ Association of NSW (FCAN) and the NSW Financial Inclusion Network. The network brings together community, government and advocacy partners to advance the policy and practice needed for a more financially inclusive future. All three organisations are not-for-profit and work to improve outcomes for people experiencing disadvantage.
Why this conference matters
The cost-of-living crisis is putting more households under financial pressure. Financial hardship rarely stands alone: it is tied up with domestic and family violence, financial abuse, homelessness, mental health, unemployment and generational disadvantage.
Bridging the Divide brings together government, financial institutions, financial counsellors, community organisations, researchers and people with lived experience. The aim is to turn grassroots practice and community knowledge into policy, investment and systemic action.
As a local charity providing integrated specialist services across the Northern Rivers, including financial counselling and No Interest Loans, Community Gateway sees these pressures every day. The conference is a chance to share with decision-makers across NSW what is working, what communities are telling us and what needs to change .
Who can submit
We want to hear from practitioners, community organisations, people with lived experience, researchers, policymakers, government, financial institutions, industry, advocates and community leaders.
Submissions can address any of the five conference themes:
- A whole-of-government strategy
- Place-based service delivery
- Breaking down barriers
- From lived experience to action
- Responding to cost-of-living pressures and financial exclusion
You don’t need a perfect success story. Challenges, lessons learned, emerging ideas and gaps in the current system matter just as much.
How to submit
Abstracts should be up to 300 words and include your presentation title, presenter names and organisations, your chosen theme and preferred presentation format, a description of the issue or initiative, key findings, what participants will take away, and a short biography of each presenter.
Email your abstract to financialinclusion@nrcg.org.au by 30 November 2026. Presenters will be notified by 15 December 2026.
Download the call for abstracts (PDF) for the full themes, topics and selection criteria.
Confirmed speakers
Keynote speakers include Dr Leonore Riitsalu, a behavioural scientist from the University of Tartu in Estonia, and Gareth Evans, Co-Director of the Financial Inclusion Centre in the United Kingdom. Dr Archana Voola of the NSW Financial Inclusion Network will be master of ceremonies.
The first evening also includes the conference dinner and the 2027 Financial Inclusion Awards.
Find out more
Visit the conference page for the program, speakers and venue details. Early bird tickets are available until 31 December 2026 through Humanitix.
For enquiries, contact the Financial Inclusion Team at financialinclusion@nrcg.org.au or 02 6621 7397.
