ChemCert

What ChemCert does

ChemCert is an Australian not-for-profit Registered Training Organisation (RTO 90855) that provides chemical safety and accreditation training primarily for agricultural, horticultural, and land management workers. Founded in 1999 as ChemCERT Limited and operating commercially through ChemCERT Training Group Pty Ltd (established 2002), the company is headquartered in Chatswood/St Leonards, NSW, and describes itself as the peak accreditation body for AgVet chemical users in Australia. Its core offerings are the AQF3 Chemical Accreditation course and the AQF4 Chemical Risk Management course, both nationally recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework and required for the legal purchase and use of restricted AgVet chemicals under WHS legislation. Supplementary courses include Control Weeds, 1080 (VIC), Control Plant Pests Diseases and Disorders, and Cattle PregTest, plus the iChemAUDIT compliance tool for councils and workplaces and the ChemCERT Card credential issued upon completion.

The company's technology stack centres on a proprietary eLearning portal hosted on Coassemble and a self-developed Student Management System, which together support online course delivery, assessment submission, and trainer/assessor coordination. Face-to-face training is delivered at over 100 locations across Australia through a national network of more than 20 trainers and assessors, many of whom have decades of practitioner experience in agrichemicals, agronomy, and farming. The company's go-to-market is sales-led, with direct online enrolment, industry body referrals, and government-funded training partnerships (AgSkilled in NSW and SmartAg in Queensland) that subsidise or eliminate course fees for eligible participants.

ChemCert's revenue model is based on course fees with substantial government subsidisation, channeled entirely back into course development and student scholarships under its not-for-profit structure. The organisation is governed by a Board with regional and farmer-federation representation, including directors linked to NSW Farmers Federation and South Australia Farmers Federation. There is no external private equity, venture capital, or institutional ownership, and no subsidiaries, acquisitions, or funding rounds are disclosed. The company serves a long tail of SMB and individual customers across agriculture, horticulture, council/government, and pest-control contracting, with no enterprise contracts or concentrated accounts identified.

Name

ChemCert

Legal name

ChemCERT Training Group Pty Ltd

Website

https://chemcert.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ChemCert is an Australian not-for-profit Registered Training Organisation delivering chemical safety and risk management accreditation courses (AQF3 and AQF4) for agricultural, horticultural, and land management workers across 100+ locations nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Chemical Safety Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

akta.pro primary industry

Hazard Communication (GHS/SDS) & Chemical Safety (EDABAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Agriculture & Food Production (EDABALAA)

Keywords

• Chemical safety training
• Agricultural chemical accreditation
• Pesticide handler certification
• Agvet chemical courses
• Rto vocational training

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatswood

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Course Fees: ChemCert charges course fees for AQF3, AQF4, and specialist chemical safety courses. Fees are partially or fully subsidised through government-funded programs in NSW (AgSkilled) and Queensland (SmartAg). As a not-for-profit, all revenue is reinvested into course development and scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ChemCert delivers nationally recognised chemical safety accreditation training to Australian agricultural and horticultural workers, primarily through the AQF3 Chemical Accreditation and AQF4 Chemical Risk Management courses, offered both as self-paced online learning via a proprietary eLearning portal and as face-to-face training at 100+ locations nationwide. The training certifies competency for the legal purchase and use of restricted AgVet chemicals and is supplemented by specialist short courses (Control Weeds, 1080 pest animal baits, Control Plant Pests/Diseases/Disorders, Cattle PregTest) and the iChemAUDIT compliance tool for councils and workplaces.

Product overview

ChemCert is a not-for-profit Registered Training Organisation (RTO) providing chemical accreditation and safety training for the Australian agricultural and horticultural sectors. The core offering consists of the AQF3 Chemical Accreditation course and AQF4 Chemical Risk Management course, both of which lead to ChemCERT Card certification. The company operates both an eLearning Portal for online self-paced learning and face-to-face training at over 100 locations across Australia. Additional specialized courses include Control Weeds, 1080 (VIC), Control Plant Pests/Diseases/Disorders, and Cattle PregTest. The iChem Audit tool provides compliance checking for chemical legislation. ChemCert reinvests all revenue into creating better courses and funding scholarships for the next generation of agricultural workers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AQF3 Chemical Accreditation Australian Qualifications Framework Level 3 chemical accreditation course providing up-to-date chemical safety training to achieve or renew a ChemCERT card. Available as online self-paced learning and face-to-face training at 100+ locations across Australia, for agricultural workers, farmers, spray technicians, council staff, and contractors who use AgVet chemicals.
• AQF4 Chemical Risk Management Advanced Australian Qualifications Framework Level 4 chemical risk management course for managers, supervisors, and those transitioning into management roles in chemical handling. Online course for graduates of the AQF3 who want a higher level of accreditation.
• Control Weeds Specialist short course for workers in agriculture, horticulture, and land management who have completed AQF3 and are required to carry out the control of weed infestations.
• 1080 (VIC) Short course for students who have completed AQF3 (or equivalent) who wish to purchase and use 1080 or PAPP pest animal baits in Victoria.
• Control Plant Pests, Diseases and Disorders New course for students who have completed AQF3, focusing on integrated pest management for plant pests, diseases and disorders in agricultural settings.
• Cattle PregTest Practical training course for determining pregnancy status of cows and heifers, with over 100 cows available for hands-on practice and group sizes limited to 8 people.
• iChemAUDIT Compliance auditing tool that helps ensure councils or workplaces are compliant with current chemical legislation, including best practice in the safe use and storage of glyphosate and other agricultural chemicals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,600 industry personnel have attained ChemCert accreditation through a single trainer (Ian Johnson).

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• XAGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023XAG and ChemCert appeared together at the 2023 Sydney Royal Easter Show, a premier agricultural event, demonstrating a partnership in agricultural technology and training.
• University of AdelaideminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021ChemCert awards an annual scholarship in Agricultural & Veterinary Science to a student from a rural or remote area, based on academic merit and financial need.
• Royal Agricultural Society Foundation (RASF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021ChemCert funds two RASF Rural Scholarships designed to support diverse range of tertiary agricultural study for rural NSW students.
• Peter Westblade ScholarshipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021ChemCert sponsors this scholarship designed to promote practical skills and hands-on experience for young people pursuing a career in the sheep and wool industry.
• SpinalCure AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChemCert provides continuing support and funding for equipment used in SpinalCure's ground-breaking Australian spinal neurostimulation trial, addressing the high incidence of spinal injuries in the agricultural sector.
• Queensland Farmers Federation (QFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmartAg is an industry-led initiative managed by the Queensland Farmers Federation with support from the Queensland Government, designed to help farmers access subsidised training. ChemCert participates as a training provider under this program, covering 50% of course costs for eligible participants.
• NSW Government (AgSkilled)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgSkilled is an industry-led training strategy by the NSW Government to upskill the agricultural workforce. ChemCert is an approved training provider offering fee-free AQF4 Chemical Risk Management courses under this program for eligible NSW agricultural workers.
• Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChemCert collaborates with GRDC on educational content, referencing GRDC resources such as the Weed ID app, Integrated Weed Management Manual, and sponsored research on surface temperature inversions and spray drift management.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Freshcare: Australian industry-owned assurance program for fresh produce growers, providing food safety, quality, and environmental training. Several ChemCert trainers are Freshcare auditors/trainers, and Freshcare courses complement ChemCert's accreditation offering for the same on-farm workforce.
• Site Skills Training: Australian RTO delivering safety, construction, and resources industry training including hazardous chemical and WHS courses. Operates a multi-state physical training footprint that overlaps with ChemCert's regional and remote site delivery model.
• Rural Industries Skills Training (RIST): Australian not-for-profit RTO delivering vocational training specifically for the agricultural sector, including chemical handling and farm safety courses. RIST targets the same rural customer base as ChemCert and competes for government-funded enrolments in Victoria and surrounding states.
• Agsafe: Australian industry-based organisation delivering chemical storage, transport, and WHS training (including Agsafe Premises and Distribution courses) to rural retailers, contractors, and chemical users. Several ChemCert trainers cross-train with Agsafe, and the two compete for the same agricultural customer base on adjacent competency credentials.

Broad incumbents

• TAFE NSW: Government-run vocational training institution offering nationally recognised AQF3 chemical accreditation courses among its broad portfolio. TAFE represents the largest incumbent alternative for learners seeking chemical user accreditation, and customer testimonials explicitly reference prior TAFE training, confirming direct competition.

Emerging players

• Harvest Trail Information Service: Australian government-funded service connecting horticulture workers with employers and facilitating seasonal workforce training, including chemical handling competency. Represents an emerging public-sector channel for agricultural workforce skilling that could partner with or compete against ChemCert in horticulture segments.
• EnviroAg Australia: Australian consultancy providing environmental and agricultural risk management, integrated pest management, and chemical application training to growers and land managers. Overlaps with ChemCert's IPM-focused Control Weeds and CPPDD courses for horticulture and land management customers.

Regional players

• AgForce Queensland: Queensland peak agricultural industry body delivering policy advocacy, member services, and industry-led training initiatives for the state's producers. Operates in the same Queensland training ecosystem that funds SmartAg, overlapping ChemCert's regional delivery footprint.

Others

• Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC): Australian R&D corporation funding grains research and producing grower resources (Weed ID app, Integrated Weed Management Manual) that ChemCert references in its training content. Functions as an ecosystem content partner and indirect channel into grain producer training audiences.
• NSW Farmers Association: Peak state farming body representing NSW producers and advocating on training, WHS, and chemical regulation policy. Directors of ChemCert are drawn from NSW Farmers, and the association acts as a referral and ecosystem partner rather than a direct training competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChemCert
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChemCert
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chemcert

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 ChemCert