What Marsden Jacob does

Marsden Jacob Associates is an Australian staff-owned economics, public policy, markets, and strategy advisory firm founded in 1996 and headquartered in Camberwell, Melbourne, with additional offices in Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane. The firm provides fee-for-service advisory to government departments, regulators, regulated utilities, energy companies, renewables developers, and private sector investors across the water, energy and renewables, agriculture and earth resources, environment and climate change, transport, and social policy sectors. Its practice spans investment appraisal, regulatory pricing and submissions, market design, policy design and evaluation, due diligence, and strategy advisory, with disclosed involvement on over $100 billion of energy and renewables investments and more than $20 billion of investments appraised since 2017.

The firm's product offering combines bespoke advisory consulting with a portfolio of proprietary in-house models and platforms. Flagship products include Waterflow™, Australia's largest water market aggregator with over 30 data sources; the PROPHET electricity market simulation model (licensed for all modules of the NEM and WA WEM and used by AEMO, TNSPs, government, generators and retailers); the Allocation Water Market Model for Murray-Darling Basin trading analysis; the East-Coast Gas Market Model; multi-regional Australian agricultural supply-chain models (Aquaculture, Beef, Dairy, Lamb & Wool, Horticulture); and an Excel-based Climate Risk Assessment Model and Recycled Water Economic Assessment Tool (co-developed with the Australian Water Recycling Centre of Excellence). The technology stack is centred on quantitative simulation, econometric modelling, and data aggregation rather than AI/ML platforms.

Commercially, Marsden Jacob operates as a private, staff-owned partnership in which high-performing employees are invited to acquire equity within three to five years of joining. Revenue is project-based, with engagements quoted per scope through direct consultant engagement (relationship-led, sales-led GTM), supplemented by thought-leadership channels including publications, "Talks Live" webinars, the firm's website, and individual LinkedIn presence. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Key customer segments are government departments and agencies, regulated water businesses and utilities, energy companies and renewables developers, industry associations and peak bodies, and private sector investors. Strategic sourcing signals: institutional relationships with regulators including the ACCC, AEMO, AER, IPART, ESC, and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority; and university research partnership with the University of Melbourne.

Name

Marsden Jacob

Legal name

Marsden Jacob Associates

Website

https://marsdenjacob.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marsden Jacob Associates is a staff-owned Australian economics, public policy, markets and strategy advisory firm serving government departments, regulators, utilities and energy companies across water, energy and renewables, agriculture, environment, and transport sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic and Policy Advisory Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs (BPADAOAL)

Keywords

• Economic advisory services
• Public policy consulting
• Water market analytics
• Energy market modelling
• Investment appraisal

Headquarters

HQ city

Camberwell

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Fee-for-service consulting engagements across economics, public policy, markets and strategy advisory. Engagements span investment appraisals, regulatory submissions, policy design, market analysis, and strategic advisory. Revenue is project-based, typically government and enterprise clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Marsden Jacob Associates is an economics, public policy, markets, and strategy advisory firm that delivers consulting services and proprietary analytical tools across water, energy, renewables, agriculture, environment, climate change, and transport sectors. Its work combines bespoke advisory engagements (investment appraisals, regulatory submissions, policy and market design, strategy, due diligence) with in-house quantitative models such as PROPHET (electricity market simulation) and the Waterflow™ water market aggregator. Revenue is generated primarily through fee-for-service consulting engagements with government, regulators, utilities, and private sector clients.

Product overview

Marsden Jacob Associates is an economic and policy advisory firm offering a portfolio of proprietary analytical tools and advisory services. The core offering combines bespoke advisory consulting with a suite of in-house developed models spanning water markets, energy markets, agriculture, and environment/climate sectors. Key products include Waterflow™ (water market data aggregation platform), the Recycled Water Economic Assessment Tool, and various specialized simulation models including PROPHET for electricity markets. The advisory services cover sectors including water, energy, renewables, agriculture, environment, transport, and public policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Waterflow: Australia's largest water market aggregator providing independent water market data in one platform. Free for registered users.

Products and services

• Waterflow™

Quantifiable outcome

• 240+ water sector projects delivered in four years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Australian Water Recycling Centre of Excellence (AWRCOE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnership to develop the Recycled Water Economic Assessment Tool - a free Excel-based system for cost-benefit analysis of recycled water schemes. Marsden Jacob and AWRCOE developed the tool to help users apply framework and principles from the 2013 'Economic Viability of Recycled Water Schemes' study to practical projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KPMG Australia: Big-4 advisory with large Australian economics, deal advisory and infrastructure practices that compete with Marsden Jacob on regulatory pricing, transaction due diligence and energy/water mandates at the larger end of the deal spectrum.
• EY Australia (EY-Parthenon): Global advisory with a sizeable Australian infrastructure, energy and transaction advisory practice that overlaps with Marsden Jacob on energy transition and investment appraisal mandates.
• Deloitte Australia (Access Economics / Monitor): Big-4 with dedicated economics, energy and resources advisory practices competing for regulatory and policy mandates, often partnered with law firms on determinations.

Direct peers

• Frontier Economics (Australia): Globally networked economics consultancy with a strong Australian practice in energy market modelling, water and regulatory economics. Competes head-to-head with Marsden Jacob on NEM and water-market modelling mandates.
• ACIL Allen: Australian economics and policy consulting firm with comparable sector coverage in energy, water, agriculture and infrastructure, and similar engagement with regulators, utilities and government clients. Most direct head-to-head peer for Marsden Jacob in Australian regulatory economic advisory.
• Nous Group: Australian management consultancy with a strong public-sector practice covering policy design, evaluation and strategy — closely comparable to Marsden Jacob on government policy advisory mandates.
• HoustonKemp Economists: Australian economics consultancy specialising in regulated infrastructure, energy and competition economics — competes with Marsden Jacob on ACCC/AER regulatory determinations and energy market advice.
• Sapere Research Group: Australian economic and policy consultancy serving government, regulators and infrastructure clients across energy, water, social policy and climate — directly comparable in advisory scope and client base to Marsden Jacob.
• Castalia Advisors: Economic and financial advisory firm focused on infrastructure, utilities and regulation in Australia and the Asia-Pacific, with significant overlap to Marsden Jacob in regulatory pricing, water utility advisory and investment appraisal.

Others

• Burns & Wilcox (Asia Pacific consulting practices): Adjacent advisory/consulting ecosystem — illustrates broader professional advisory market context rather than direct competition; included to capture enablement/advisory peer relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marsden-jacob-associates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Marsden Jacob