What Anchor Excellence does

Anchor Excellence is a Sydney-based, founder-led advisory and consulting firm founded in September 2018 by Cynthia Payne, specialising in strategy, governance, compliance, finance and risk advisory services for the Australian aged care, home care, retirement living and (more recently) early childhood education sectors. The firm operates a multi-brand platform under the Anchor Impact Group umbrella, comprising Anchor Consulting (senior-led professional services), Anchor Policy (a Policy-as-a-Service documentation suite of 700+ customisable documents with quarterly legislative updates), Anchor Academy (nationally recognised online training with Australian College of Nursing endorsement and Credly digital credentials), Anchor Risk Advisory (independent third-line assurance), SAGE Study Tours (international study tours, acquired January 2023), Impactful Leaders (TMS-based leadership workshops) and Anchor ChildCare (child care sector advisory).

The firm's core technology is its codified domain content rather than a software product: a proprietary Business Excellence Framework, the 700-document policy library, accredited courseware, and specialised incident management (IMS/SIRS) and clinical governance methodologies aligned to the Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025. Distribution combines senior-led enterprise sales to boards and executives with a self-serve online learning platform and a partner ecosystem spanning Thomson Geer, ACCPA, Australian College of Nursing, ResolveHR and HARTMANNs.

Anchor Excellence monetises through five streams: project-based consulting (quote-based, bespoke), recurring policy subscriptions (Policy Choice one-time, Policy Purchase one-time, Policy Plus annual subscription with quarterly updates), online training enrolment (individual and group/bespoke corporate packages), study tour programmes and workshop delivery. The firm claims to impact 40-45% of the Australian aged care market, 450,000+ consumers across old and new Standards, 8,000-14,000+ aged care leaders reached, 7,500+ Academy graduates and 350+ Academy sessions delivered, serving customers including Bupa, Hammondcare, Salvation Army, Baptist Care, Keyton, Anglicare and Royal Freemasons. The company is privately held with no external institutional investors, parent company or public listing identified.

Name

Anchor Excellence

Legal name

Anchor Excellence

Website

https://anchorexcellence.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Anchor Excellence is a Sydney-based, founder-led advisory firm providing strategy, governance, compliance, finance and risk consulting to Australian aged care, home care, retirement living and child care operators through consulting, policy documentation, accredited training and study tour product lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aged Care Management Consulting

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

HR Policy, Governance, Compliance & Risk Advisory (BPACAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)

Keywords

• Aged care consulting
• Governance advisory
• Compliance management
• Aged care policy
• Leadership training

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consultancy services including Strategy, Governance & CEO Excellence, Complex Business & Finance Advisory, and Third-Line Risk & Assurance. Delivered through senior-led engagements, board training, independent reviews, and interim solutions.
2. Anchor Policy Documentation: Policy-as-a-Service offering with over 700 documents across Residential, Home Care, Retirement Living, and HR packages. Three tiers: Policy Choice (individual documents), Policy Purchase (full suite), Policy Plus (subscription with quarterly updates).
3. Anchor Academy Training: Online and live training courses for aged care professionals. Individual course enrollment, group sessions, and bespoke organizational packages. Digital certificate badges issued via Credly platform.
4. SAGE Study Tours: International study tour programs offering aged care professionals educative, professional, and culturally appropriate study experiences globally.
5. Impactful Leaders Workshops: High-performance team workshops using TMS (Team Management Systems) methodology, including profiles, workshops, and follow-up sessions for leadership development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Anchor Excellence provides advisory, consulting, and compliance support services to Australian aged care, home care, retirement living, and child care operators. Core offerings include Strategy, Governance and CEO Excellence consulting; Complex Business and Finance Advisory; Third-Line Risk and Assurance; a Policy-as-a-Service suite of 700+ compliance documents; and accredited online training through Anchor Academy, supplemented by international study tours and leadership workshops.

Product overview

Anchor Excellence operates as a multi-brand advisory and consulting firm with six distinct product lines: Anchor Consulting (core advisory services), Anchor Policy (compliance documentation), Anchor Academy (online education), SAGE Study Tours (international study tours), Impactful Leaders (leadership workshops), and Anchor ChildCare (child care advisory). The offering is a platform-plus-modules architecture where Anchor Consulting serves as the core professional services umbrella, with four specialist sub-brands delivering targeted solutions across policy, education, travel/experiential learning, leadership development, and child care sectors. All services are targeted at aged care, home care, retirement living, and child care operators in Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Anchor Consulting: Professional consultancy services including Strategy, Governance & CEO Excellence, Complex Business & Finance Advisory, and Third-Line Risk & Assurance.
• Anchor Policy
• Anchor Academy
• Anchor ChildCare
• SAGE Study Tours
• Impactful Leaders
• Anchor Risk Advisory

Products and services

• Anchor Consulting Professional advisory services for aged care, home care, retirement living, child care and NDIS providers spanning Strategy, Governance and CEO Excellence; Complex Business and Finance Advisory; and Third-Line Risk and Assurance, including full-scale business transformation, change management, interim and outsourcing solutions.
• Anchor Policy Policy-as-a-Service offering providing over 700 customisable, expert-drafted policies, processes, registers, tools, templates, factsheets, presentations and competencies for Residential Aged Care, Home Care, Retirement Living, and Human Resources for Aged Care, with quarterly legislative updates available to subscribers.
• Anchor Academy Nationally recognised online training and education platform offering industry-leading courses for aged care professionals, with live and on-demand delivery, group enrolments, bespoke organisational packages, and digital certificate badges issued via Credly upon completion.
• SAGE Study Tours Internationally recognised quality study tour program providing educative, professional and culturally appropriate study experiences investigating aged care and seniors living models and evidence-based best practice delivery around the world for aged care CEOs and executives.
• Impactful Leaders Tailored workshop series using the Team Management Systems (TMS) methodology to build high-performance leadership, strengthen team alignment, communication, and collaboration in aged care organisations, including profiles, workshops, and follow-up sessions.
• Anchor ChildCare Specialist advisory services for Early Childhood Education and Care centres covering governance, risk and assurance, complex financial and business advisory, leadership and mentoring, and end-to-end compliance support for centres navigating unprecedented legislative change.

Quantifiable outcome

• 450,000+ consumers impacted across old and new Standards
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• SAGE Study TourscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Acquired partnership with SAGE Study Tours in January 2023, bringing internationally recognised quality study tour program to the Anchor Excellence portfolio. Over seventeen years of investigating trends in seniors living and eldercare globally.
• Thomson GeercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with leading legal firm Thomson Geer for the Responsible Persons Program, providing legal advisory services for aged care governance obligations under the Aged Care Act 2024. Joint delivery of board training and statutory compliance support.
• Australian College of NursingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation endorsement partnership where Australian College of Nursing provides endorsements for Anchor Academy education programs, enhancing credential credibility and sector recognition.
• Meaningful Ageing AustraliasecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for education program delivery, collaborating on services to the aged care sector and supporting organisations with compliance and quality improvement.
• HARTMANNssecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerService partnership providing services to the aged care sector, collaborating on comprehensive support for providers.
• ResolveHRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ResolveHR for Human Resources for Aged Care documentation, providing specialised workforce compliance package developed specifically for aged care providers.
• The DCM GroupsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative webinar hosting partnership for industry education on New Aged Care Act topics, featuring panel discussions with sector experts.
• Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA)coreOthersStrong support and active engagement with ACCPA, maintaining relationships with peak industry bodies to ensure services reflect latest sector developments.
• CredlysecondaryTechnology or IntegrationDigital credentialing platform partnership for issuing digital certificate badges to Anchor Academy graduates upon course completion.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CompliSpace: Australian SaaS provider of policy, compliance, and governance documentation for regulated sectors including aged care, education, and health. Directly comparable because both Anchor Policy and CompliSpace compete on subscription-based policy libraries and compliance tooling for the same Australian regulated provider base.
• Nous Group: Australian management consulting firm with a significant aged care, health, and human services practice. Comparable because it competes with Anchor Consulting on strategy, governance, and reform advisory engagements for aged care providers and government agencies in Australia.
• Sentrient: Australian compliance training and policy management SaaS for regulated industries including aged care and early childhood. Directly comparable because it overlaps with Anchor Academy's training products and Anchor Policy's documentation subscriptions in the same customer base.

Others

• Australian Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission: Australian government regulator of aged care providers under the Strengthened Quality Standards and Aged Care Act 2024. Adjacent because it shapes the compliance environment Anchor monetizes rather than competing commercially, but its guidance and audit priorities directly drive Anchor Policy and Consulting demand.
• ACCPA (Aged & Community Care Providers Association): Australian peak industry body representing aged and community care providers. An ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor; Anchor maintains strong alignment with ACCPA, which functions as a referral and industry-credibility channel for Anchor's services.

Broad incumbents

• KPMG Australia: Big-4 firm with a dedicated Australian aged care advisory practice offering governance, risk, compliance, and finance advisory. A broad incumbent because its aged care unit directly overlaps with Anchor's Third-Line Risk & Assurance and Complex Business & Finance practices but as part of a much wider portfolio.
• BDO Australia: Mid-tier accounting and advisory firm with aged care and not-for-profit sector practices providing governance, risk, and finance advisory. Comparable because it competes with Anchor's Complex Business & Finance Advisory and Risk Advisory lines for mid-market aged care providers.
• PwC Australia: Big-4 firm offering governance, risk, compliance, and finance advisory with aged care sector exposure. A broad incumbent competing with Anchor Consulting for board-level governance and assurance work with large aged care providers.
• McKinsey & Company (Australia): Global management consultancy with an Australian healthcare and aged care practice. A broad incumbent because it competes with Anchor Consulting for board-level strategy and transformation mandates with larger aged care operators, though it is not sector-specialized.
• Deloitte Australia: Big-4 firm with aged care and human services consulting, including regulatory readiness and operational transformation. A broad incumbent because it competes with Anchor on aged care transformation mandates but serves a broader enterprise and government client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Anchor Excellence