Sustainable Builders Alliance

What Sustainable Builders Alliance does

Sustainable Builders Alliance (SBA) is an Australian certified social enterprise operating a membership-based professional community for residential construction and design practitioners — primarily architects, builders, engineers, energy assessors, and qualified tradespeople — focused on mainstreaming net zero sustainable homes. The organization, owned by Builders Declare (A.C.N. 658 877 838) and previously operating as Builders Declare Australia, delivers a structured curriculum through a free Roadmap to Zero Carbon Homes (a five-step framework covering Good Design, Low Impact Materials, Performance Construction, Efficient Appliance Selection, and Energy Generation & Offsetting), paid SBA Badge micro-credentials delivered via Thinkific, an Australian Sustainable Building Directory ranked by member expertise, and a content library of webinars, podcasts, blog articles, and in-person events including factory tours.

The core technology stack is a fairly conventional web platform: Webflow for the public website and member dashboard at thesba.com.au, Thinkific for online badge course delivery, and a Facebook Group as the member forum. There is no proprietary AI/ML infrastructure; AI-adjacent capabilities are accessed indirectly through sponsor partner Evitat's sustainability reporting platform. The platform's primary functional value is community credentialing and B2C discovery — homeowners use the directory to find verified sustainable building professionals, and badge completion improves a member's search ranking within it.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership subscriptions at $750/year + GST per professional, supplemented by sponsored content from industry partners (HazardCo, Bowden, Wunderbuild, ProCalc, Evitat, Fantech, Valley Windows, Crafted Hardwoods, Performance Membranes Australia, Hygge Windows & Doors, McCormacks, and others) featured as blog articles and guides. The organization explicitly commits to reinvesting 50%+ of annual profits into its social purpose under Social Traders certification, and channels free top-of-funnel content (Roadmap, blog, newsletter) to drive membership acquisition. Distribution is direct via the SBA website, with the directory serving as a B2C discovery channel for members' services.

Name

Sustainable Builders Alliance

Legal name

Builders Declare A.C.N. 658 877 838

Website

https://thesba.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sustainable Builders Alliance is an Australian social enterprise running a membership-based professional community for residential architects, builders, and trades, offering badge micro-credentials (delivered via Thinkific), a sustainable building directory, and a Roadmap to Zero Carbon Homes curriculum, primarily funded through $750/year memberships and sponsor content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Construction Professional Education

NAICS

Business Associations (81391)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Compliance, Governance & Board Support Services (BPAJAHAN)

Keywords

• Sustainable construction membership
• Green building education
• Professional micro-credentials
• High-performance building directory
• Residential energy efficiency training

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Subscriptions: Primary revenue stream. Annual membership at $750/year + GST per professional. Provides verified directory listing, full badge access, CPD points, discounted events, and member-only perks. Social Traders certification confirms the organisation reinvests 50% or more of annual profits back into achieving its social purpose of making net zero sustainable homes mainstream.
2. Sponsored Content & Partner Marketing: The blog publishes content from external companies (HazardCo, Bowden, Wunderbuild, ProCalc, Ultimate Windows, Fantech, Crafted Hardwoods, Evitat, Powerhaus, Valley Windows, Performance Membranes Australia, Hygge Windows & Doors, McCormacks) as articles and guides, generating revenue through featured content placements and partner mentions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sustainable Builders Alliance (SBA) is an Australian social enterprise that sells an annual professional membership ($750/year + GST) to residential building and design professionals. Membership includes a verified listing in the Sustainable Building Directory, online self-paced SBA Badge micro-credentials that count toward CPD points, discounted access to webinars, podcasts, in-person events and factory tours, and perks from vetted sponsor partners. The organisation also publishes a free Roadmap to Zero Carbon Homes framework covering good design, low-impact materials, performance construction, efficient appliance selection, and energy generation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual SBA Membership Annual professional membership priced at $750/year + GST for Australian residential construction and design professionals. Includes a verified listing in the Sustainable Building Directory, full access to SBA Badge micro-credentials and CPD points, discounted event tickets, exclusive member-only events and factory tours, member perks from sponsor partners, and an SBA member logo for marketing use.
• SBA Badge Micro-Credentials Online, self-paced micro-credentials across performance construction pillars such as healthy homes, low-impact materials, good design, and energy-efficient appliance selection. Each completed badge contributes CPD points and improves the member's ranking in the Sustainable Building Directory. Delivered via the Thinkific learning platform.
• Sustainable Building Directory Australia's Sustainable Building Directory where homeowners can find verified sustainable building professionals. Verified SBA members are listed with their badge credentials, and directory ranking is driven by SBA badge completion. Members are discoverable by homeowners searching for sustainable builders, architects, and designers.
• Roadmap to Zero Carbon Homes Free 5-step educational framework covering Good Design, Low Impact Material specification, Performance Construction, Efficient Appliance Selection, and Energy Generation & Offsetting. Available publicly without membership to help building professionals and homeowners understand decisions contributing to a genuinely sustainable home and meeting NatHERS 7-star Whole-of-Home requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• High-performance builders are nearly twice as likely to have work locked in more than six months ahead (59.5% vs 37.4%)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Social TraderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial Traders is Australia's leading certifier of social enterprises. Their certification process is rigorous, requiring demonstration of genuine social purpose, meaningful trading activity, and commitment to putting public benefit above private gain. The SBA's certification formally validates its social enterprise status and is increasingly recognised by government bodies, procurement processes, and funding bodies as a mark of credibility.
• Derek SiuminorOthersDerek Siu maintains the SBA website (thesba.com.au).
• HazardCominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA sponsor partner offering members 10% off annual subscription to HazardCo's health and safety management system, used by more than 10,000 businesses in Australia and New Zealand, designed for home builders.
• BowdenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA sponsor partner offering members exclusive pricing on high-performance building products, dedicated account manager allocation, access to the CIRCA Showroom for client selections, and invitations to innovative workshops and events.
• WunderbuildminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA sponsor partner offering members 20% discount on Wunderbuild construction management software, purpose-built for Australian and New Zealand builders to manage projects from estimate to final invoice.
• ProCalcminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA sponsor partner offering members a free website audit to assess how well their site attracts the right clients and filters out poor-fit prospects.
• Ultimate WindowsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA sponsor partner offering members a free smart lock upgrade (Ultimate Electronic Lock with key, fingerprint, phone, fob, and key-code access) on their window and door projects.
• EvitatminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA sponsor partner offering members a free subscription to Evitat's digital platform for sustainable construction — including full access to vetted eco-friendly building materials library, unlimited AI-enhanced sustainability reports, and collaborative specification tools.
• Powerhaus EngineeringminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA sponsor partner offering members a free design-stage NatHERS model and Powerhaus App access on their current project, including live walk-through of performance trade-offs and practical guidance.
• WeathertexminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA sponsor partner running a competition for members to win a trip to the Weathertex Factory in NSW (return flights, guided tour, overnight accommodation). Earn 1 point per $1 spent at Bowens; 5 points per $1 on Weathertex Fusion Woodsman and Selflok V Groove Smooth profiles. Minimum $15,000 ex-GST spend required to qualify.
• WesbeamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA sponsor partner providing members with priority access to high-quality Australian-made floor systems, full support from Wesbeam's technical team (engineers and estimators), plus a $150 rebate per floor for members entering a supply agreement.
• ThinkificcoreTechnology or IntegrationThinkific is used as the learning management system for SBA Badges and micro-credentials education content. Members access courses via thesba.thinkific.com.
• WebflowcoreTechnology or IntegrationWebflow is used as the website platform for thesba.com.au, powering the website's pages, forms, and member dashboard functionality.
• MetriconminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolume builder Metricon collaborated with SBA member Maxa Design to adapt Metricon's Amira design (built 5,000+ times since 2016) to achieve Passivhaus certification through modelling. The collaboration represents one of the most promising pathways for bringing Passivhaus principles into mainstream volume housing in Australia.
• Maxa DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBA member Maxa Design partnered with Metricon to adapt an existing proven volume home design to achieve Passivhaus certification, demonstrating how high-performance principles can scale through repetition rather than one-off custom builds.
• CarbonliteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbonlite (led by Burkhard Hansen, Passivhaus pioneer) presented at the Australian Passivhaus Association's Thrive Conference alongside SBA. Hansen argued the industry should develop proven 'chassis' designs and continuously improve them, applying lessons across multiple projects to reduce cost and improve outcomes.
• EnvirotectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBA member Envirotecture (led by Talina Edwards) posed critical questions at Thrive Conference about whether the industry should jump directly to Passivhaus certification or create tiered pathways that lift performance across the entire market.
• KnaufminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnauf insulation-backed plasterboard was used in the Fitzroy heritage retrofit project (two Victorian terraces, built 1874) to upgrade double brick walls from near-zero insulation to high-performance levels while maintaining heritage character.
• FantechminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA blog contributor on airtightness and ventilation topics. Fantech (founded 1973, joined Volution Group) supplies ventilation and acoustic products from bathroom exhaust fans to large air handling units, and offers HRV system design for high-performance and Passivhaus buildings.
• Valley WindowsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA blog contributor on timber selection for windows and doors. Valley Windows manufactures custom timber windows and doors using Tasmanian Oak, Western Red Cedar, and Blackbutt, with Merbau for exposed sills. Timber sourced from PEFC/Responsible Wood certified suppliers.
• Performance Membranes AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA blog contributor on building envelope and moisture management. Performance Membranes Australia supports builders, designers and industry professionals with education, technical guidance and building envelope solutions focused on durability, moisture management and high-performance construction.
• Hygge Windows & DoorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA blog contributor on high-performance window details. Hygge supplies double and triple glazed aluminium-clad timber windows and doors for high-performance and Passivhaus projects across Australia, founded on the principle of 'Quiet Comfort'.
• McCormacks (Australia)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA blog contributor on wet area retrofits and substrate selection. McCormacks offers Magnum Board Structural Flooring Underlay — a mould-resistant, silica-free substrate suitable for wet areas, retrofits, and new builds across flooring and other applications.
• Crafted HardwoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA blog contributor on timber upcycling and low-impact materials. Crafted Hardwoods transforms low-grade and juvenile timber logs into reliable building and design materials, helping bring more of each harvest into high-value construction rather than wood-chip export.
• EvitatminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBA sponsor partner and blog contributor on material intelligence. Evitat is a digital platform for sustainable construction providing vetted eco-friendly building materials, AI-powered sustainability analysis, and collaborative specification tools for builders and designers.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Energy Efficiency Council: Australian peak body for energy efficiency, representing professionals and organizations in the energy services sector. Directly comparable as an industry association providing credentials, training, and community for professionals working on energy performance and sustainability — overlapping with SBA's high-performance builder focus.
• Housing Industry Association: National industry body for Australia's residential building sector, providing training, certification, and advocacy for residential builders and trade contractors. Directly comparable as a membership association serving residential construction professionals with credentialing and CPD offerings.
• Master Builders Australia: Australia's largest building and construction industry association, representing builders across all segments. Directly comparable as a trade association providing credentialing, advocacy, training, and member services — but at much broader (non-sustainability-specific) scope.
• Green Building Council of Australia: Australia's primary sustainability rating body for buildings, operating the Green Star certification system. Directly comparable as an industry association providing credentials, ratings, and education to Australian building professionals — but at commercial scale across commercial and residential.
• Australian Passive House Association: Peak body promoting Passivhaus standards in Australia. Directly comparable as a membership-based organization providing education, certification pathways, and community for high-performance building professionals — overlapping closely with SBA's content and credentialing focus.

Regional players

• World Green Building Council: Global umbrella organization coordinating national Green Building Councils (including GBCA). Regional/global peer operating in the same sustainability-credentialing category as SBA but at international scope and through member GBCAs rather than directly to builders.
• Passivhaus Institut: German-based global certification body for Passivhaus standards, the original authority on the high-performance building standard SBA references. Regional peer because it operates globally but is based in Germany, and provides certification/credentialing rather than community membership.

Broad incumbents

• NABERS: Australian government-backed rating system for building energy and water efficiency, covering offices, apartments, hotels, and data centres. A broader incumbent that operates in the same sustainability-rating category as SBA but focuses on rating existing buildings rather than credentialing builders.

Others

• Evitat: Australian digital platform for sustainable construction offering material libraries, AI-powered sustainability reports, and specification tools. Ecosystem participant (technology partner) rather than direct competitor — comparable because it serves the same sustainable builder audience and offers complementary credentialing/specification capabilities.
• Bowden: Australian supplier of high-performance building products with a showroom and dedicated account manager offering for SBA members. Ecosystem participant (supplier partner) rather than direct competitor — comparable because it serves the same high-performance builder customer base and collaborates with SBA on education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/180801429920642/?ref=profile_plus_visit_group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Sustainable Builders Alliance