Coeliac Australia

What Coeliac Australia does

Coeliac Australia is the only national registered charity in Australia dedicated to coeliac disease, headquartered in Milsons Point, New South Wales, and operating since 1980. The organization was formed in 2019 by amalgamating the four state-based coeliac societies (NSW & ACT, Victoria & Tasmania, Queensland, Western Australia) into a single national entity. It serves three distinct customer segments: individuals diagnosed with coeliac disease and their families, health professionals (GPs, gastroenterologists, dietitians), and food businesses (food service providers and packaged goods manufacturers). Its core customer-facing products include subscription memberships, the biannual Gluten-Free Living Magazine, a self-assessment tool, the Ingredients List Booklet, multilingual fact sheets, Learning Environments Resources for schools, and a mobile app for iOS/Android. For commercial clients, Coeliac Australia operates two distinct certification programs: the Gluten-Free Accreditation Program (food service providers, requiring document review, laboratory testing, onsite audits, and staff training) and the Endorsement Program (licensing the trademarked Crossed Grain logo to packaged goods manufacturers). The technology stack is standard digital infrastructure (website, membership portal, online shop, mobile apps) with no proprietary technology components.

Revenue is generated through seven streams: membership subscriptions, donations and fundraising, Accreditation Program fees, Endorsement Program licensing fees, Gluten-Free Expo ticket and exhibitor fees (the largest gluten-free events in Australia, held in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane), merchandise and educational resource sales, and bequests/planned giving. Go-to-market operates through three motions: direct-to-consumer acquisition (website, phone helpline, social media, events, word-of-mouth), enterprise field sales (business outreach for accreditation and endorsement programs), and channel partnerships (health professional referrals via Dietitians Australia and GP Supervisors Australia, plus retail distribution of endorsed products). The organization is governed by a volunteer national Board and led by CEO Maryjane Aviles (former senior executive at American Express, IBM, AMP, NAB, and Médecins Sans Frontières), supported by specialized heads of Partnerships, Technology, Digital and Marketing, and a Lead Dietitian and Health Advocacy Officer with 30+ years of domain expertise. Headcount is 11-50 employees.

Underlying growth dynamics are anchored by a large addressable but underdiagnosed market: approximately 1 in 70 Australians have coeliac disease, but only 20% are diagnosed, while over 3 million Australians follow a gluten-free diet. Member-reported outcomes indicate high unmet demand for safe gluten-free dining (97% of members report difficulty eating out) and high utility of accreditation (80% of gluten-free consumers use the accreditation directory to find venues). Key institutional assets include the Medical Advisory Committee of leading gastroenterologists and dietitians, registered trademarks for the Crossed Grain Endorsement Logo and 'GF' symbol, and standards aligned with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Notable partners include Nestlé Professional, Institute of Hospitality in Healthcare, Dietitians Australia, GP Supervisors Australia, Allergen Bureau, and EveryWill.

Name

Coeliac Australia

Legal name

Coeliac Society of Australia Limited

Website

https://coeliac.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coeliac Australia is the only national registered charity in Australia dedicated to coeliac disease, serving diagnosed individuals, health professionals, and food businesses through membership subscriptions, trademarked accreditation and endorsement programs, and the annual Gluten-Free Expo since 1980.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions providing ongoing access to research, support, recipes, news, and discounts. Members receive starter kits, magazines, newsletters, event access, and helpline support.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations (over $2) supporting research initiatives, awareness campaigns, and operational costs. Includes corporate donations, workplace giving, and individual fundraising activities.
3. Accreditation Program Fees: Fees from food service businesses for the Gluten Free Accreditation Program, including document review, onsite audits, licensing, and training module access.
4. Endorsement Program Fees: Licensing fees from manufacturers using the Coeliac Australia Endorsement logo on packaged foods, beverages, books, and appliances. Pricing based on number of products, volume, and distribution.
5. Gluten-Free Expo Revenue: Ticket sales and exhibitor fees from the annual Gluten-Free Expo events, the largest gluten-free events in Australia.
6. Merchandise Sales: Revenue from the Coeliac Australia Shop selling resources including the Ingredients List booklet, online training modules, and educational materials.
7. Bequests and Planned Giving: Legacy gifts and bequests from supporters leaving gifts in their Wills, partnered with EveryWill for free online Will services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Coeliac Australia is a registered national charity that supports Australians living with coeliac disease through paid memberships providing resources, helpline support, magazines and self-assessment tools. It also generates revenue by licensing food businesses through its Gluten-Free Accreditation Program (for food service providers) and Endorsement Program (for packaged goods manufacturers), and runs the annual Gluten-Free Expo events.

Product overview

Coeliac Australia operates as a membership-based national charity offering a comprehensive ecosystem of products and services supporting Australians with coeliac disease. The core offering includes membership programs providing access to the Gluten-Free Living Magazine, self-assessment tools, recipes, and expert resources. The organization runs the Gluten-Free Expo as its flagship annual event. For businesses, it provides two distinct programs: the Accreditation Program for food service providers (restaurants, cafes, butchers) requiring document review, lab testing, and onsite audits, and the Endorsement Program for packaged food and beverage manufacturers. Supporting products include an online training module, mobile apps for iOS and Android, the Ingredients List Booklet, Learning Environments Resources for schools, and Chronic Disease Management Templates for healthcare providers. Multilingual fact sheets and various downloadable resources complement the service portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coeliac Australia Membership Annual subscription program providing members with starter kits, ingredient list booklets, gluten-free samples, digital access to Gluten-Free Living Magazines, two member magazines per year, monthly e-newsletter, event access including a free Gluten-Free Expo ticket, helpline support and exclusive discounts.
• Gluten-Free Expo The largest gluten-free event in Australia, held annually in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, featuring exhibitors, product samples, bargains and entertainment for the coeliac and gluten-free community.
• Gluten-Free Living Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of members find it difficult to eat out seeking gluten-free options
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nestlé ProfessionalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for developing practical food service and healthcare guides. Nestlé Professional co-developed the Gluten-Free Guide for the food service industry and the Healthcare guide for hospital and aged care settings, both revised in 2023.
• Institute of Hospitality in HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Institute of Hospitality in Healthcare for developing resources tailored to hospital and aged care settings, including practical guides and supporting educational materials.
• Dietitians AustraliacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partnership directing patients to find dietitians who specialize in coeliac disease through the Dietitians Australia directory. Coeliac Australia encourages patients to join and directs health professionals to recommend membership.
• GP Supervisors AustraliaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership providing coeliac disease educational resources and training materials for GP registrars and supervisors through the GP Supervisors Australia platform.
• EveryWill (formerly Gathered Here)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership offering free online Will writing service to supporters, enabling them to easily include Coeliac Australia in their estate planning and leave lasting legacies.
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)minorOthersRegulatory body whose standards Coeliac Australia's endorsement and accreditation programs are aligned to. FSANZ standards govern gluten-free claims and allergen labeling in Australia.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Nestlé Health Science: Global nutrition-health business of Nestlé with a major gluten-free product portfolio and a partnership (via Nestlé Professional) with Coeliac Australia to co-develop the Gluten-Free Guide for food service and healthcare. Strategic corporate partner and adjacent gluten-free product ecosystem.
• Allergen Bureau: Australian-based, industry-funded non-profit that administers the VITAL (Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling) tool — an allergen risk-assessment standard used by Australian food manufacturers. Adjacent certification ecosystem overlapping with Coeliac Australia's gluten-free endorsement and reference partner.
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ): Bilateral government authority setting the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code that defines 'gluten-free' claims — the standards to which Coeliac Australia's endorsement and accreditation programs are explicitly aligned. Regulatory reference point for the certification business.

Direct peers

• Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG): US non-profit that runs the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), one of the world's largest gluten-free product certification schemes. Highly comparable to Coeliac Australia's Endorsement Program — both monetize trademarked certification marks for use on packaged foods and restaurant menus.
• National Celiac Association (US): US-based non-profit providing support, education and resources for people with coeliac disease, including a recognized food-safety certification program (the NCA Seal). Direct peer in terms of dual consumer-support and food-industry certification model.
• Celiac Disease Foundation: The largest US national non-profit dedicated to coeliac disease, providing patient education, research funding, advocacy and gluten-free certification in a near-identical structure to Coeliac Australia. Comparable mission, comparable age (founded 1990), and the most direct international counterpart in terms of member-supported charity model.
• Canadian Celiac Association: Canada's national voluntary health organization for coeliac disease, providing member services, advocacy, research grants and gluten-free product certification. Direct international peer with overlapping consumer/health-professional/business stakeholder model.
• Coeliac UK: The UK's national charity for people with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis, operating a near-identical model to Coeliac Australia: membership subscriptions, the Crossed Grain trademark licence (the original), food-service accreditation, and an annual gluten-free exhibition. Direct analog serving the same condition with the same revenue stack in a sister English-speaking market.
• Beyond Celiac: US non-profit focused on driving diagnosis, accelerating research and improving quality of life for those with coeliac disease and gluten-related conditions. Directly comparable to Coeliac Australia in mission, advocacy focus, research grant funding, and patient-resource provision.

Regional players

• Coeliac New Zealand: New Zealand's national charity for coeliac disease, sharing FSANZ regulatory alignment with Coeliac Australia and operating a similar member-and-resource model in the same trans-Tasman regulatory jurisdiction. Closest regional peer given shared FSANZ standards framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CoeliacAust
• LinkedInau.linkedin.com/company/coeliac-australia
• Instagraminstagram.com/coeliacaus
• Xx.com/CoeliacAust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Coeliac Australia