Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise

What Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise does

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) is a regional economic development organisation headquartered at 6 Ann St, Toowoomba City, Queensland, serving businesses across the Toowoomba, Western Downs, and Maranoa regions of Australia. Founded in 2012, TSBE operates as a membership-based non-profit with 11–50 employees, convening more than 50 events annually across 27 industry sectors and drawing 4,112+ attendees. Its portfolio includes tiered membership (Base through Diamond), flagship programmes such as Food Leaders Australia, the Indigenous Business Connector, AgriEmerging Markets, Elevate Academy, the Brisbane 2032 Initiative, a Suppliers Portal, and regional publications including the LIVE magazines and biennial Development Status Reports.

TSBE's technology footprint is intentionally limited and operational rather than productised: it runs a WaveCRM-based member centre and an online suppliers portal but does not offer APIs, SDKs, or proprietary software. Core "technology" is its institutional network and convening capability, anchored by foundation-partner status with Toowoomba Regional Council and partner-council relationships with Western Downs and Maranoa councils. Major enterprise members include IOR, Stanwell, TUFF Group, Port of Brisbane (Diamond), Wagners, Senex Energy, New Hope Group, UniSQ, and TAFE Queensland (Platinum), with Shell QGC as a significant programme partner.

The business model is subscription-recurring membership fees (Base $832/yr, Bronze $2,726, Silver $5,452, Gold $10,904, Platinum $18,180, Diamond POA) supplemented by enterprise sponsorships, programme-specific partnerships (notably with Shell QGC), and likely government grant funding. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, targeting regional businesses of all sizes with a hybrid segmentation approach covering regional enterprises, export-oriented agribusiness, and First Nations businesses. In 2026 TSBE is transitioning to independence from Toowoomba Regional Council under incoming CEO Jo Sheppard and incoming Chair Ian Macfarlane, marking a structural shift to a member-governed independent entity.

Name

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise

Legal name

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise

Website

https://tsbe.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) is a membership-based regional economic development organisation serving businesses across Toowoomba, Western Downs, and Maranoa in Queensland, Australia, through tiered membership, 50+ annual events, advocacy, and flagship programmes in agribusiness and Indigenous business development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toowoomba

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: TSBE generates revenue primarily through tiered membership fees ranging from Base ($832/year) to Diamond (POA) tiers, providing businesses access to networking events, industry insights, and regional advocacy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TSBE is a regional economic development organization that sells tiered business memberships and delivers associated services including networking events, industry advocacy, procurement and tender assistance, business development support, trade and export advisory, and Indigenous business programs. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring membership subscriptions across Base, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond tiers, with additional value delivered through flagship programs such as Food Leaders Australia, the Indigenous Business Connector, and AgriEmerging Markets.

Product overview

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) is a regional economic development organization, not a unified software product. It operates a portfolio of membership-based services and programs including tiered membership packages (Base through Diamond), an annual events program (50+ events), Food Leaders Australia (agribusiness support), and several initiative programs including the Indigenous Business Connector, AgriEmerging Markets Program, Elevate Academy leadership program, Brisbane 2032 initiative, and a Suppliers Portal. TSBE also produces regional publications (LIVE magazines) and Development Status Reports. The organization connects businesses with opportunity through advocacy, networking, procurement assistance, and trade/market development across the Toowoomba, Western Downs, and Maranoa regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TSBE Membership Program Tiered business membership program offering regional businesses access to networking events, industry insights, procurement assistance, strategic introductions, and advocacy across 27 sectors. Tiers include Base ($832/year), Bronze ($2,726), Silver ($5,452), Gold ($10,904), Platinum ($18,180), and Diamond (price on application), with benefits ranging from event passes and directory listings to political engagement and grant assistance.
• TSBE Events Program Annual portfolio of 50+ events including Enterprise Evenings, Contractor Connectors, networking functions, industry information sessions, workshops, boardroom briefings, and regional showcases, designed to connect regional businesses and foster collaboration. Access is provided through membership and event passes.
• Food Leaders Australia (FLA) TSBE's wholly owned agribusiness initiative delivering industry leadership, market development, sustainability programs, trade advocacy, innovation support, and emerging food sector expansion for agribusinesses across southern Queensland.
• Elevate Academy 12-month industry development leadership program equipping emerging regional leaders with the knowledge and tools to identify opportunities within regional industries and communities, combining classroom learning with on-site industry experiences.
• TSBE Suppliers Portal Online portal connecting local businesses with major project opportunities across the region, helping maximize regional economic benefits by matching capable businesses to projects and capturing business capability information.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hosts 50+ events annually with 4,112+ total attendees
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered foundation and core.

• Toowoomba Regional CouncilfoundationStrategic or Co-development PartnerToowoomba Regional Council is the Foundation Partner of TSBE, providing foundational support for regional economic development initiatives across the Toowoomba region.
• Western Downs Regional CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern Downs Regional Council is a Partner Regional Council collaborating on regional development and investment promotion in the Western Downs region.
• Maranoa Regional CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaranoa Regional Council is a Partner Regional Council working with TSBE on economic development initiatives in the Maranoa region.
• Shell QGCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShell QGC and joint venture partners Tokyo Gas and CNOOC support TSBE's Indigenous Business Connector program and AgriEmerging Markets Program as part of their commitment to supporting stronger First Nations outcomes in the region.
• Shell QGCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShell QGC supported the Indigenous Business Expo held in recognition of Indigenous Business Month, with TSBE's Indigenous Business Connector program delivering social investment outcomes.
• Shell QGCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShell QGC delivers the AgriEmerging Markets Program in partnership with TSBE, supporting Western Downs agribusinesses in sustainable supply chain development.
• Port of BrisbanecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort of Brisbane plays a critical role in connecting southwest Queensland producers to global markets. Currently 98%+ of container trade is transported by road, with TSBE advocating for improved freight rail connections including Inland Rail.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Committee for Melbourne: Business-led urban policy and advocacy organization for Melbourne, comparable in convening and policy advocacy role to TSBE. Provides overlapping institutional advocacy and networking functions but oriented to a state capital rather than a regional centre.
• Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL): Industry growth centre for Australia's food and agribusiness sector. Comparable to Food Leaders Australia (TSBE's wholly-owned agribusiness subsidiary) in mandate to accelerate food and agribusiness innovation, though at national rather than regional scale.
• Committee for Sydney: Independent business and civic leadership organization that convenes leaders to shape Greater Sydney's economic future. Operates a similar thought-leadership, membership-supported EDO model to TSBE but with a metropolitan focus and larger institutional member base.
• Regional Australia Institute: National research and policy organization focused on the future of regional Australia. Shares TSBE's regional development mandate but operates as a policy/research body rather than a membership-services organization, providing thematically adjacent thought leadership.

Broad incumbents

• Business NSW: State-wide business chamber for New South Wales providing advocacy, member services, and policy influence. Comparable in mission and business model to TSBE but at much larger scale across NSW, offering overlapping capability sets for enterprise members.
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ): State-wide Queensland business chamber offering advocacy, training, and networking across the state. While not regionally focused like TSBE, CCIQ competes for larger enterprise members and offers overlapping capability sets across Queensland.

Regional players

• Advance Cairns: Regional economic development organization based in Cairns, North Queensland, operating a comparable membership-based, sector-led model with similar tiered membership and event programming, but focused on tropical North Queensland.
• Regional Development Australia Hunter: Federally-funded RDA committee covering the Hunter region in NSW, providing regional development, stakeholder engagement, and economic advocacy. Operates the same federally-mandated model as the Darling Downs RDA but in a different regional geography.

Direct peers

• Regional Development Australia – Darling Downs and South West: Federally-funded regional development committee covering the same Darling Downs/South West footprint as TSBE, providing overlapping economic development, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement services at no cost to stakeholders.
• Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce: Local business chamber operating in the same Toowoomba geography, providing overlapping networking, advocacy, and member services to a similar SME and enterprise base. Directly competes for the same regional business members.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tsbenterprise
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/toowoomba-and-surat-basin-enterprise
• Instagraminstagram.com/tsbe_fla
• Xx.com/tsbenterprise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise