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Join the Suncorp Bank ESSI Money Challenge – and help Aussie teens level up their money habits

 Make your secondary school a financial literacy superhero! 

The Financial Basics Foundation (FBF) – one of Australia’s leading non-profit financial education providers – with support from Suncorp Bank – has launched the 2025 ESSI Money Challenge – an annual financial literacy competition to help build the financial capability of Australian secondary school students.

ESSI Money powered by Suncorp Bank is a free, online financial literacy game exploring the concepts of Earning, Saving, Spending, and Investing (ESSI) – in a safe, fun, and challenging way. ESSI Money is an online virtual reality game featuring interactive real-life scenarios which foster critical thinking and problem-solving.

REGISTER  NOW

Registrations are now open for the annual Suncorp Bank ESSI Money Challenge.

This national competition combines the regular ESSI Money Plus game with a financial literacy quiz.

The Suncorp Bank ESSI Money Challenge game goes “live” at 9.00am (AEST) on Monday, 18 August 2025. Students can commence play at any time after this but must complete each game along with the end-of-game quiz and survey questions and submit their score by 5.00pm (AEST) on Friday, 29 August 2025.

Students compete in one of two age brackets: 12-15 or 16-18. The three highest scores in each age category nationally and the top-scoring student for each state and territory will win a cash prize.

The top 10 scores from each age category nationally and for each state and territory are displayed on the Suncorp Bank ESSI Money Challenge Leaderboard page throughout the competition.

To register for the Suncorp Bank ESSI Money Challenge, Login to your Member account and navigate to the ESSI Money Challenge Portal.

See our Terms and Conditions for more details.

$13,600 IN PRIZES!

There are amazing prizes to be won, with students across Australia competing for their chance to win part of $13,000 in prizes for themselves and their school.

NATIONAL WINNERS

First prize is a $1500 cash deposit into a personal Suncorp Bank Account and a bonus cash deposit of $1000 for the winning student’s school.

Second prize is a $1000 cash deposit into a personal Suncorp Bank Account, and third prize is a $500 cash deposit into a personal Suncorp Bank Account.

STATE WINNERS

The top-scoring student (in each age group) from each state and territory will receive a $250 Pre-paid Gift Card.

Plus, every student who submits a valid entry goes into the draw for one of 16 $100 Pre-paid Gift Card.

See our News and Prizes page for all the details.

For more information and further details on registering for the Suncorp Bank ESSI Money Challenge, visit our How to Enter page.

Key statistics

Our goal is to make it as ‘ESSI’ as possible for young Australians to enhance their financial capability, equipping them with the skills they need to navigate the ever-evolving financial world.

  • As of December 2024, 69% of all Australian secondary schools had registered to access FBF resources.
  • That’s over 11,000 Educators from more than 2,300 secondary schools across Australia.
  • 95% of educators who used ESSI Money in their classroom say it is a useful and effective teaching resource.
  • 224,649 secondary school students have played ESSI Money since 2017.
  • 70% of students say that ESSI Money is relevant to their life outside of school.
  • 72% of students say that their interest in managing their own money has increased after playing ESSI Money.
“Participating in the ESSI Money Challenge has transformed the way I teach financial literacy.  The interactive activities and real-world simulations have made the learning experience exciting and engaging for my students.” Mrs. Anderson, Mathematics Teacher, Victoria.

FBF and Suncorp Bank are committed to ensuring a better financial future for young Australians, their families, and the wider community. Through the ESSI Money Challenge and ongoing initiatives, we strive to empower young Australians to become financially resilient individuals.

Educators, join us, and tens of thousands of other Aussie teachers in the biggest and best financial literacy challenge ever! Help your students level up their money habits and be in with a chance to win real financial rewards.

Thanks for being a financial literacy superhero!

Disclaimer: The information on this fact sheet is general educational information. It is not financial advice. Financial Basics Foundation is not a financial advisor. The information is designed to improve your financial literacy by increasing your awareness and understanding of the topics described.