South Australian Sports Institute

What South Australian Sports Institute does

SASI is the South Australian Government's high-performance sports institute, operating as a state entity under the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing. Founded in 1981, it provides integrated training, sport science, medical, physiotherapy, psychology, nutrition, and athlete welfare services to elite and emerging South Australian athletes across 11 sport disciplines and four locations, preparing competitors for Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games.

Its core capability infrastructure includes a new $88 million headquarters at Mile End featuring biomechanics laboratories, recovery facilities, and an indoor high-performance training center, plus the $15 million Australian Centre for Sports Aerodynamics (ACSA) wind tunnel at Adelaide International Airport. SASI partners with national sporting organizations, universities, and clubs — including recent three-year partnerships with Adelaide Thunderbirds (netball) and a Lacrosse Australia arrangement targeting the LA 2028 Olympic pathway — to deliver athlete development pathways.

SASI's business model is government-funded rather than revenue-generating: it does not sell services commercially at scale but receives appropriations from the South Australian Government to operate as a state-level high-performance hub. Performance is measured through athlete outcomes rather than financial returns — the Paris 2024 cycle produced 46 Olympians and 16 Paralympians with SASI involvement, and the institute has launched a 2032 High Performance Strategy aligning program priorities with the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Name

South Australian Sports Institute

Legal name

South Australian Sports Institute

Website

https://sasi.sa.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) is a state-government-funded high-performance sports institute serving elite and emerging South Australian athletes across 11 disciplines, delivering integrated training, sport science, and medical services in preparation for Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

High-Performance Sport Institute Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSADAEAA

Sport-Specific Skills Coaching (e.g., soccer, basketball, tennis)

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Sports Coaching & Athletic Performance

SECONDARYMPAKAFAC

National Governing Bodies (NGBs)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Rights Holders & Governing Bodies (Federations, Associations, Sanctioning Bodies)

Keywords

• High-performance sport services
• Elite athlete development
• Sport science medicine
• Athlete funding grants
• Aerodynamics testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mile End

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: SASI is a State Government of South Australia institution, operating as part of the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing (ORSR). It receives government funding to support elite athlete development programs, facility operations, and performance support services. Additional funding is distributed to athletes through various grants and award programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) is a state government-funded high-performance sport institute that identifies, develops, and supports elite and emerging South Australian athletes. It delivers integrated sport science, sport medicine, sport engineering, and athlete wellbeing services alongside sport-specific training programs in disciplines such as rowing, cycling, swimming, netball, hockey, basketball, and canoe sprint. SASI also administers athlete grant/funding programs (IAP, CAA, Robert Gerard AO Fund) and operates specialised facilities including the Australian Centre for Sports Aerodynamics (ACSA) wind tunnel.

Product overview

The South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) operates as a comprehensive high-performance sports institute offering a multi-tiered portfolio of programs and services. The core offerings include sport-specific programs (Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Canoe Sprint, Cycling, Hockey, Individual Athlete Program, Lacrosse, Netball, Race Walking and Endurance, Rowing, Swimming), athlete support services (Performance Support including Sports Medicine, Sports Physiology, Movement Science, Performance Psychology, Nutrition, Strength and Conditioning, Sports Engineering, Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement), specialized facilities (Australian Centre for Sports Aerodynamics with wind tunnel testing capabilities), and funding programs (Individual Athlete Program grants, Country Athlete Award, Robert Gerard AO Emerging Athlete Development Fund). SASI also operates dedicated programs including the Para Unit for athletes with disabilities and the Talent Search program for identifying future Olympians and Paralympians. The institute provides support ranging from talent identification through to elite athlete preparation for international competitions including Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SASI Sport Programs A suite of discipline-specific high-performance training and competition preparation programs delivered in partnership with National Sporting Organisations across Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Canoe Sprint, Cycling, Hockey, Individual Athlete Program, Lacrosse, Netball, Race Walking and Endurance, Rowing, and Swimming. Targets state, national, and international-level South Australian athletes.
• SASI Individual Athlete Program (IAP) A grant-based program providing financial and performance support to elite South Australian athletes competing in sports not covered by other dedicated SASI Sport Programs. Designed for individuals selected based on performance benchmarks.
• SASI Country Athlete Award (CAA) A funding award aimed at reducing barriers for talented athletes from regional and rural South Australia, providing financial assistance to support their sport development and high-performance pathway progression.
• Robert Gerard AO Emerging Athlete Development Fund A targeted development fund providing financial support to South Australia's emerging high-performance athletes progressing through the talent pathway.
• SASI Para Unit A specialised unit focused on identifying and developing South Australian athletes with a disability along the Paralympic pathway, in collaboration with Paralympics Australia and National Sporting Organisations.
• SASI Talent Search A talent identification program scouting young South Australians with the physical and athletic profile to compete at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• Australian Centre for Sports Aerodynamics (ACSA) A specialist aerodynamics testing facility operating a wind tunnel used by elite and developing athletes, sports engineering teams, and external industry clients for aerodynamic performance analysis and equipment optimisation.
• Race Walks and Endurance Hub A national training centre hub providing high-performance training environments, coaching, and support services for race walking and endurance athletes.
• SASI Sports Medicine Clinical sports medicine services including injury prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation delivered by medical and physiotherapy staff to SASI-affiliated athletes.
• SASI Movement Science

Quantifiable outcome

• 252 grants awarded to 147 athletes across 22 sports since 2007 through the Robert Gerard AO Emerging Athlete Development Fund
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe AIS is a valued partner in the ACSA project, providing significant investment and sharing a role with SASI in shaping the strategic direction for ACSA and its role in supporting Australian elite athletes for international success. The AIS also collaborates with SASI's sports engineering team across a range of areas including para-athlete equipment.
• Australian Olympic CommitteeminorOthersPartner logo visible on SASI website footer alongside Paralympic, Olympic, and other sporting body logos indicating formal partnerships and alignment with national Olympic and Paralympic programs.
• AusCyclingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAusCycling is a key partner for SASI's cycling program. John Pitman from ACSA was initially called up from AusCycling to work on aero projects, playing a pivotal role in Australian cyclists' preparation for Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.
• Australian Athletics / Athletics SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian Athletics and Athletics SA have partnered with SASI to deliver the Race Walks and Endurance Hub in Adelaide as a National Centre for race walkers. Olympic champion Jared Tallent leads the hub as Head Coach.
• Rowing AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSASI Rowing is a National Training Centre within Rowing Australia's High Performance Program. Nick Mitchell was hired from SASI as Rowing Australia's new Men's Coach following his success at SASI.
• Adelaide ThunderbirdscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Adelaide Thunderbirds announced a three-year partnership with SASI commencing in 2025, formalising collaboration between South Australia's elite netball team and the sports institute.
• Lacrosse AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSASI supports Lacrosse Australia through a groundbreaking new partnership on the road to LA 2028 Olympics where lacrosse will feature.
• Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing (ORSR)coreOthersSASI is part of the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, a South Australian Government department. ORSR manages SASI's feedback processes, HR, and overall policy direction. Feedback relating to SASI is managed by ORSR.
• National Sporting Organisations (NSOs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACSA works directly with Australian National Sporting Organisations where it is identified that ACSA can have a positive impact on athletes' performances at Olympics, Paralympics and other major international events. NSO head coaches and performance directors are encouraged to contact ACSA.
• Sport Australia Hall of FameminorOthersThe Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship & Mentoring Program is delivered in partnership with SASI, providing financial support and mentoring from Hall of Fame Members to SASI athletes.
• Paralympics AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSASI collaborates with seating and innovation experts at Paralympics Australia with a focus on para-sport equipment to optimise athlete performance, particularly in customising equipment for para-athletes.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• English Institute of Sport: UK's national high-performance network delivering sport science, medicine and engineering support to Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Conceptually analogous to SASI's integrated performance support model but operating at national scale in a different geography.
• Sport Singapore: Singapore's national sport agency combining high-performance athlete development with sport science infrastructure. Comparable in providing integrated performance support services but in a different Asia-Pacific market.
• Singapore Sport Institute: Singapore's high-performance sports institute offering sport science, medicine and coaching services to national athletes. Comparable service portfolio to SASI in sport science, biomechanics and integrated support, but operates in a different regional market.
• High Performance Sport New Zealand: New Zealand's national high-performance sports agency. Operates with a comparable integrated sport science/coaching/medicine model and Olympic/Paralympic focus, but serves a different national talent pool rather than competing in SASI's geography.

Direct peers

• NSW Institute of Sport: NSW's state high-performance sports institute operating sport science, coaching and scholarship programs. Directly comparable in mandate and service portfolio to SASI, serving the largest state talent pool in Australia.
• Victorian Institute of Sport: Victoria's state high-performance sports institute. Closest peer to SASI in structure, mandate and operating model: delivers integrated sport science, coaching and athlete support across multiple Olympic/Paralympic disciplines for a state-based talent pool.
• Western Australian Institute of Sport: Western Australia's state sports institute delivering high-performance services across multiple sports. Directly comparable in scope and operating model to SASI at a similar population scale.
• Queensland Academy of Sport: Queensland's state high-performance sports organisation. Peer to SASI in providing integrated athlete support, sports science and performance services aligned to Brisbane 2032 Games preparation.
• Tasmanian Institute of Sport: Tasmania's state high-performance sports institute. Comparable in mandate (sport science, coaching, athlete pathways) but smaller in scale; useful peer for benchmarking service intensity per athlete at the smallest end of the Australian institute cohort.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Institute of Sport: National high-performance sports agency that co-invests in and partners with SASI on ACSA and other capability areas. Functions as a broader incumbent/funder rather than a direct state-level competitor, but is highly comparable in service mix (sport science, medicine, engineering).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SASI_sport
• Facebookfacebook.com/SASInews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-australian-sports-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/sa_sports_institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 South Australian Sports Institute