Impact Innovation
Impact Innovation is an Australian R&D management consultancy that helps researchers, RDCs, CRCs, universities, and government agencies maximise research investment via proprietary ISO 56002-aligned decision-support tools, bespoke consulting, and a 40+ module training catalogue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersBrisbane, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Impact Innovation does
Impact Innovation Group is an Australian R&D management consultancy founded in 2006 by Brian Ruddle and headquartered in Queensland with team members also based in New South Wales. The firm operates with a team of approximately 20 specialists and provides three core service lines: R&D management consulting (strategy, program design, monitoring and evaluation, commercialisation advisory), funding proposal support for government and industry programs such as CRC and ARC bids, and a training/capacity-building catalogue of over 40 modules plus microcredentials. Its five trademarked proprietary decision-support tools (Commercialisation Navigator, IC Readiness, Innovation Navigator, Impact Plus, and R&D Impact Studio) are anchored in the ISO 56002 innovation management standard and underpin the consulting engagement.
The firm serves a tightly defined segment of Australia's R&D ecosystem: Rural Research and Development Corporations, Cooperative Research Centres, research-intensive universities, federal and state government agencies, and selected enterprises including BHP, Wesfarmers, and CSIRO. It claims to have supported 145 R&D management systems, completed 5,645 R&D projects, reached 16,520 training participants, helped clients secure A$294 million in funding, and delivered an average 377% ROI to clients over 19 years of operation.
Commercially the firm operates a pure professional services model with quote-based, custom engagements priced by scope and delivered via direct client engagement (project, retainer, or multi-year contracts). Go-to-market is sales-led with event-driven and community-led secondary motions, complemented by content marketing, case studies, and an active presence at industry events such as evokeAG and Cooperative Research Australia conferences. Distribution is exclusively direct with no channel partners or self-serve product. The firm holds no external institutional investors and is founder-controlled under Managing Partner Brian Ruddle, who also chairs the Innovation Management Standards Committee (MB-279) for Standards Australia.
Impact Innovation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Impact Innovation
- Legal name
- Impact Innovation Group
- Website
- https://impactinnovation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Impact Innovation is an Australian R&D management consultancy that helps researchers, RDCs, CRCs, universities, and government agencies maximise research investment via proprietary ISO 56002-aligned decision-support tools, bespoke consulting, and a 40+ module training catalogue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Impact Innovation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- R&D Management Consulting
- NAICS
- Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting (BPAHACAM)
Keywords
Where Impact Innovation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brisbane
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Impact Innovation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- R&D Management Consulting: Core consulting services providing strategic innovation support, project design, monitoring and evaluation, and commercialisation advisory. Services are tailored to each client engagement and priced based on scope and duration. Engagement models include project-based work, retainer arrangements, and long-term partnership engagements.
- Training & Capacity Building: Over 40 R&D and innovation management training modules delivered as tailored programs. Programs include executive leadership training, train-the-trainer programs, and mentoring support. Revenue generated through course fees, workshop facilitation, and microcredential programs.
- Funding Proposal Support: Services helping clients build compelling funding proposals for government and industry programs. Includes bid strategy, project design, and investment case development for CRC, ARC, and other national funding programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom consulting engagements - pricing based on scope |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Impact Innovation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Impact Innovation is a specialist R&D management consultancy that helps researchers, research managers, research funders, RDCs, CRCs, universities, corporates, non-profits and government agencies maximise the real-world value and impact of their R&D investment. It delivers tailored consulting engagements (R&D program design, commercialisation advisory, monitoring and evaluation, funding proposal support), a suite of proprietary ISO 56002-aligned decision support tools (Commercialisation Navigator, IC Readiness, Innovation Navigator, Impact Plus, R&D Impact Studio), and over 40 R&D and innovation management training modules.
Product overview
Impact Innovation is an R&D management consultancy offering a portfolio of proprietary decision support tools and consulting services. Their core product suite includes five named decision support tools—Commercialisation Navigator®, IC Readiness®, Innovation Navigator®, Impact Plus®, and R&D Impact Studio—all grounded in ISO 56002 innovation management standards. These tools are offered alongside consulting services for R&D program design, project design, monitoring and evaluation, and strategic advisory. The company also delivers training programs with over 40 R&D and innovation management modules, all aligned with global best practice including ISO innovation management standards. Services target researchers, research managers, research funders, RDCs, CRCs, universities, corporations, non-profits, and government agencies across the Asia Pacific region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commercialisation Navigator® A structured framework that guides project leaders through a gap analysis to identify barriers and opportunities on the path to market. It supports confident, evidence-based decisions that de-risk commercialisation and improve return on innovation investment, and is used by R&D teams, RDCs, CRCs, corporates and government agencies.
- IC Readiness® (Impact and Commercial Readiness) A diagnostic tool that pinpoints where a product, service or technology sits on the commercialisation pathway using readiness levels. It provides founders and teams with clear, actionable guidance on what data is needed next to attract investment, resources and the green light to move forward.
- Innovation Navigator® A whole-of-organisation assessment tool that helps leaders understand how their innovation systems are performing. Grounded in ISO 56002 standards, it reveals where to focus effort to lift capability, improve outcomes, and create future value.
- Impact Plus® A research centre assessment tool that helps R&D leaders understand how their systems are performing. Grounded in ISO 56002 standards, it reveals where to focus effort to lift capability, improve outcomes, and create future value.
- R&D Impact Studio A collaborative program that embeds innovation rigour into R&D initiatives, drawing on venture studio methods to validate R&D impact — whether through policy influence, commercial outcomes, or social change — helping projects become more compelling, investable and aligned with funder expectations.
- R&D Management Consultancy Services R&D management consultancy and collaboration services covering program design, project design, monitoring and evaluation, and strategic advisory for researchers, research managers and research funders across government, corporate and academic sectors.
- R&D and Innovation Management Training Tailored training programs with over 40 R&D and innovation management modules designed by experts in adult learning, covering commercialisation foundations, communication skills, decision-making support, and stage-gate design, including microcredentials and mentoring support.
- ISO Innovation Standards Training Training programs aligned with the ISO 56000 suite of innovation management standards, providing comprehensive overview of standards and application guidance for businesses seeking to align their innovation systems with global best practice.
Quantifiable outcome
- Average ROI of 377% for clients
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Impact Innovation
Customer profileNamed customers25 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Impact Innovation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Impact Innovation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- TaniobiscoreImpact Innovations and Taniobis formed a collaboration to develop Cold Spray additive manufacturing solutions using tantalum and niobium alloys for aerospace and defense applications. Testing with Impact Innovations' EvoCSII system achieved deposition rates exceeding 90% using Taniobis powders, demonstrating efficient processing of high-cost alloys like C-103 for jet engine components. The partnership combines process technology expertise with powder expertise to establish Cold Spray as a viable alternative to conventional forming and welding processes.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Impact Innovation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Deloitte Australia: One of the Big Four, with a substantial R&D Tax Incentive, Innovation, and Government Advisory practice serving the same Australian RDC, CRC, university, and federal/state government clients as Impact Innovation. Operates as a broad incumbent across the same consulting category.
- PwC Australia: PwC runs a dedicated R&D and Innovation consulting practice plus Government, Higher Education, and Industry sectors, competing directly for the same RDC, CRC, university, and government R&D program design engagements as Impact Innovation.
- KPMG Australia: KPMG's Advisory business covers Government, Healthcare, and Enterprise Innovation, with specialist teams in R&D incentives and innovation strategy targeting the same federal/state departments, RDCs, and large corporates as Impact Innovation.
- EY-Parthenon (EY): EY-Parthenon's strategy practice includes dedicated Innovation, R&D, and Government transformation offerings, regularly bidding for monitoring & evaluation, commercialisation, and CRC/RDC program design work Impact Innovation serves.
- McKinsey & Company: McKinsey's Innovation Practice and Public Sector work advises research funders and government agencies on portfolio strategy and impact measurement - the same buyer set as Impact Innovation, with much broader geographic and sector reach.
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG): BCG's Innovation & R&D practice and Henderson Institute work with corporate and public-sector clients on R&D portfolio optimisation, stage-gate, and impact measurement - close functional peers of Impact Innovation at the enterprise end of the market.
Emerging players
- Cicada Innovations: Australian deep-tech incubator and commercialisation platform supporting science-based startups across medtech, agritech, and climate. Comparable as an Australian commercialisation and R&D impact enablement ecosystem player.
- ANDHealth: ANDHealth is Australia's health-technology commercialisation accelerator, providing R&D commercialisation services and impact frameworks to digital health ventures - a niche-similar emerging player in commercialisation pathway advisory.
Others
- Research Australia: An Australian alliance for health and medical research advocacy; not a direct competitor but addresses the same research-impact and translation agenda, often interacting with shared RDC, CRC, and university customers.
- Cooperative Research Australia: The peak body for Australia's Cooperative Research Centres, providing policy, events, and program support to the same CRC clients Impact Innovation serves. An ecosystem adjacent rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Impact Innovation social profiles
Digital presenceImpact Innovation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Impact Innovation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Impact Innovation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Impact Innovation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Impact Innovation
What does Impact Innovation do?
Impact Innovation is a specialist R&D management consultancy that helps researchers, research managers, research funders, RDCs, CRCs, universities, corporates, non-profits and government agencies maximise the real-world value and impact of their R&D investment. It delivers tailored consulting engagements (R&D program design, commercialisation advisory, monitoring and evaluation, funding proposal support), a suite of proprietary ISO 56002-aligned decision support tools (Commercialisation Navigator, IC Readiness, Innovation Navigator, Impact Plus, R&D Impact Studio), and over 40 R&D and innovation management training modules.
Is Impact Innovation a public or private company?
Impact Innovation is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Impact Innovation founded?
Impact Innovation was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Impact Innovation based?
Impact Innovation is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Impact Innovation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. R&D Management Consulting is the primary driver. The others are training & Capacity Building and funding Proposal Support.
Who are Impact Innovation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Deloitte Australia, PwC Australia, KPMG Australia, EY-Parthenon (EY), McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Emerging players are Cicada Innovations and ANDHealth. Others are Research Australia and Cooperative Research Australia.
Does Impact Innovation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Impact Innovation.
What industry is Impact Innovation in?
Impact Innovation's product category is R&D Management Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAM, Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting. Its NAICS code is 541618 and its SIC code is 8742.