BIBA Academy

What BIBA Academy does

BIBA Academy is a family-owned vocational education institution based in Melbourne, Australia, specialising in hairdressing and barbering training. It operates two campuses (Fitzroy and Melbourne CBD) and is closely integrated with the broader BIBA salon network of 14 locations across Australia. The Academy delivers Certificate III in Hairdressing and Certificate III in Barbering, with both domestic apprentice pathways and full-time courses available to international students under its CRICOS registration.

The business is registered as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 6035) and holds CRICOS provider number 01709K, which together enable participation in government-funded training programs (Skills First and Victorian/Commonwealth arrangements) and onshore international student recruitment. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: government-subsidised tuition for eligible domestic students, full-fee domestic enrolments, and international student fees. The salon network contributes a separate retail service revenue stream, with the Academy-salon integration providing an internal employment pathway for graduates.

Founded by Vidal Sassoon-trained practitioners from the Divitaris family, with the next generation (Ben and Simon Divitaris) now in operational leadership, BIBA Academy combines multi-generational technical expertise with formal VET credentials. The Academy's brand has been built over approximately 50 years, was recognised with the 2026 AHFA award, and the 2025 anniversary marks a milestone in its operating history. As a small, privately held training provider, BIBA Academy is positioned in the niche intersection of family-run craft education and Australia's regulated vocational training market.

Name

BIBA Academy

Legal name

BIBA Academy of Hair and Beauty Pty Ltd

Website

https://bibaacademy.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BIBA Academy is a family-owned vocational training institution in Melbourne delivering Certificate III in Hairdressing and Barbering across two campuses, serving domestic and international students under its RTO and CRICOS registrations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Hairdressing and Barbering Education

NAICS

Cosmetology and Barber Schools (611511), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Hair Styling & Cutting (EDAOALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Barbering Schools & Programs (HSALANAD), Barber Training, Apprenticeship & Education (HSALABAI)

Keywords

• Vocational hairdressing training
• Professional barbering education
• Certified beauty training
• Apprenticeship hairdressing programs
• Salon training academy

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - Certificate Programs: Full-time and part-time certificate courses in hairdressing and barbering for domestic students, with government funding options (Skills First) available for eligible applicants. International students pay full fees.
2. Apprenticeship Training: Off-the-job training for apprentices employed in salons, supported by Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding with eligibility managed through employers.
3. Salon Services Revenue: On-site training salons open to the public offering professional hair services (cuts, colouring, treatments, barbering) delivered by students under supervision. Revenue from client services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BIBA Academy is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 6035, CRICOS 01709K) that delivers nationally accredited Certificate III qualifications in Hairdressing (SHB30416) and Barbering (SHB30516) through two Melbourne campuses and an apprenticeship pathway. Training is approximately 80% hands-on practice with real clients in simulated salon environments, supported by 20% theory via live demonstrations. The Academy also operates public-facing training salons at both campuses where students deliver supervised hair services.

Product overview

BIBA Academy is a vocational hair and beauty training institution offering a unified portfolio of nationally recognised Certificate III qualifications in Hairdressing (SHB30416) and Barbering (SHB30516). The institution operates two delivery pathways: a certificate pathway providing campus-based training for students without salon employment, and an apprenticeship pathway combining salon floor work with structured Academy training. Both pathways lead to identical certification. In addition to educational programs, BIBA operates public-facing Academy Salons at both campuses where students gain hands-on experience with real clients, and the broader BIBA network encompasses 14 salons across Australia. The institution serves both domestic students (with Skills First, Austudy, and Victorian/Commonwealth Government funding options) and international students (CRICOS 01709K).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certificate III in Hairdressing (Domestic Students)

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 80% of training is hands-on practical work
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Wella ProfessionalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing international platform artist and educator partnership. Lyndal Salmon serves as platform artist and educator; Marilyn Guarino is a Wella Professionals Guest Artist. Wella TrendVision competition participant with Platinum and Gold wins.
• Victorian GovernmentcoreOthersGovernment funding support through Skills First program for eligible domestic students. Apprenticeship training also supported by Victorian Government funding.
• Commonwealth GovernmentcoreOthersApprenticeship training supported by Commonwealth Government funding through state training authorities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heyday Academy: Melbourne-based private hairdressing and barbering academy offering hands-on Certificate III training. Comparable as a direct geographic and product competitor in the same Melbourne catchment and trades.
• Toni&Guy Academy: International hairdressing education brand delivering accredited vocational qualifications and short courses across multiple countries. Comparable as a brand-led hairdressing educator competing for the same domestic and international student pool.
• Sassoon Academy: Global hairdressing education brand founded by Vidal Sassoon, providing technical training programmes with strong brand pedigree. Directly comparable to BIBA given BIBA's founder lineage to Vidal Sassoon London and its focus on precision cutting technique.
• Verso Education: Australian private vocational educator (formerly Richmond School of Fashion & Hairdressing) delivering nationally accredited beauty and hairdressing programmes. Comparable as a private RTO competing for the same domestic and international student pool.
• Reactor School of Creative Hairdressing: Australian private hairdressing college offering creative-focused Certificate III training. Comparable as a private RTO directly competing with BIBA in the same trades and the same private-fee segment.
• Australian National College of Beauty: Australian private college delivering Certificate III/IV in Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy with multiple campuses. Comparable as a multi-campus private beauty educator competing for both domestic and international enrolments.
• Masters Institute of Creative Education: Western Australia-based private RTO delivering hairdressing, barbering and beauty training with pathway partnerships. Comparable as a private trades-focused RTO competing for international students and domestic apprentices.

Broad incumbents

• L'Oréal Professional Education: Global beauty conglomerate's education division offering training, certifications and academies for stylists. Comparable as a large incumbent delivering brand-sponsored hairdressing education and competing for the same student and salon customer base.
• TAFE (state institutes, e.g., TAFE NSW, TAFE VIC): Australia's publicly funded technical and further education institutes delivering subsidized Certificate III in Hairdressing and Barbering. Comparable as the largest competitive incumbent setting the subsidised price floor BIBA competes against.
• Wella Studios: Wella Professionals' education platform offering in-person and online training for stylists, of which BIBA's Creative Director Lyndal Salmon is an active platform artist. Comparable as a global incumbent brand-aligned hairdressing educator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/biba.academy
• Instagraminstagram.com/bibaacademy
• Xx.com/bibasocial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biba-academy

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries3 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 BIBA Academy