Australian Centre for International Trade and Investment

What Australian Centre for International Trade and Investment does

The Australian Centre for International Trade and Investment (ACITI) is an independent, not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in Australia, dedicated to advancing Australia's international economic engagement through research, education, and network-fostering activities. It serves government policy makers, foreign diplomats, Australian businesses, policy analysts, and academic researchers, with a stated headcount of approximately 5 employees and no disclosed funding rounds or external investors.

ACITI's core offerings span six interconnected product lines: ACITI Forum (webinars, seminars, workshops, and an annual conference); ACITI Academy (day-long intensive courses on trade policy topics at $850 per participant, offered across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Canberra); the Trade Policy Decoded fortnightly podcast (44+ episodes, co-hosted with the Institute for International Trade at the University of Adelaide); ACITI Info (an accessible non-technical online information resource on Australia's trade practice); ACITI Research (a platform showcasing 30+ academic researchers across Australian universities); and the Realising Paperless Trade Series (a 12-webinar program on trade facilitation). ACITI does not develop proprietary technology; its "platform" is human-expert content, events, and community.

ACITI's revenue model rests on three streams: professional services-style course fees (e.g., $850 for Academy Course 1), conference registration fees (e.g., the ACITI CIBEL Conference), and what appears to be membership or sponsorship support from trade-interested stakeholders. Its go-to-market is community- and event-driven, leveraging a network of academic, diplomatic, and government-affiliated talent (including former DFAT negotiators, UN diplomats, and KPMG geostrategy leads) and partnerships with institutions such as ANZ, UNSW's CIBEL Centre, UN/CEFACT, and the ICC Digital Standards Initiative. The organization does not disclose financials and operates on a small, fixed-cost base.

Name

Australian Centre for International Trade and Investment

Legal name

Australian Centre for International Trade and Investment Ltd

Website

https://aciti.org.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACITI is an Australian independent not-for-profit organization that delivers education, research, webinars, podcasts, and an annual conference on international trade and investment policy for government officials, diplomats, businesses, and researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Course fees: ACITI Academy charges course fees for educational programs on international trade policy and practice. Course 1 (Australia's International Trade Policy Essentials) is priced at $850 per participant.
2. Conference registration fees: Annual conferences such as the ACITI CIBEL Conference charge registration fees for attendance.
3. Membership/sponsorship: The organization appears to rely on support from stakeholders interested in international trade and investment policy, though specific membership structures are not detailed on the website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACITI delivers education, research, and networking services focused on Australia's international trade and investment policy. Its core offerings include day-long professional development courses through ACITI Academy (in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Canberra), the fortnightly Trade Policy Decoded podcast, the ACITI Forum series of webinars and an annual conference, the ACITI Info public information resource, and a research platform showcasing affiliated academic scholars.

Product overview

ACITI is an independent not-for-profit organization offering a portfolio of research, education, and networking products centered on international trade and investment. Its core offerings include the ACITI Forum (webinars, seminars, workshops, and annual conferences), ACITI Academy (trade policy courses offered in multiple cities), the Trade Policy Decoded podcast, ACITI Info (information resource on trade topics), and the Research showcase platform. The Realising Paperless Trade Series provides specialized education on trade facilitation and digital trade documentation. These products work together to advance Australia's international economic engagement through information, fostering networks, education, and research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trade Policy Decoded: A fortnightly podcast hosted by Professor Peter Draper (Executive Director, Institute for International Trade, University of Adelaide) and Dr Prudence Gordon (Executive Director, ACITI) exploring current trade policy topics.
• ACITI Academy
• ACITI Info
• Realising Paperless Trade Series
• ACITI Forum

Products and services

• ACITI Academy Day-long intensive professional development courses on international trade policy and practice offered in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Canberra, covering topics such as the WTO, Australia's Free Trade Agreements, Tariffs and Trade Policy Tools, Agricultural Trade Policy, Trade Stakeholder Engagement, and courses designed for foreign diplomats and government officials.
• ACITI Forum Regular webinars, seminars, workshops and an annual conference bringing together business, government, researchers and analysts to discuss international trade and investment topics.
• Trade Policy Decoded Podcast A fortnightly podcast co-hosted by Professor Peter Draper and Dr Prudence Gordon that explores current Australian and global trade policy topics for both experts and novices, distributed via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
• ACITI Info An accessible, non-technical online information resource covering Australia's international trade and investment practice, profiles, programs, policy, partners and research, with topic summaries on trade partners, agreements, and industry sectors.
• ACITI Research A platform showcasing researchers and institutions undertaking critical research on international trade and investment to inform business, policy and consumer decisions, featuring scholars from Australian universities.
• Realising Paperless Trade Series A 12-webinar educational series examining how Australia can improve and secure how goods cross borders, covering verifiable credentials, HS code automation, customs act reform, MLETR adoption, ICC digital standards, electronic trade documents, and AI applications in trade.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ANZ (Australia and New Zealand Banking Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2024ACITI partnered with ANZ to co-host the International Trade and Finance in the Digital Economy Conference on 30 August 2024. The conference focused on seismic shifts and opportunities for Australia's international trade and trade finance created by rapidly advancing technologies bringing a real-time digital economy to life. The partnership included a day of discussion and produced a report on key points and outcomes.
• Chinese International Business and Economic Law (CIBEL) Centre at UNSW SydneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACITI and the CIBEL Centre at UNSW Sydney are joining forces to deliver the 'Reimagining International Trade Conference' scheduled for 22 & 23 October 2026 in Sydney. The conference aims to understand the dimensions and implications of the new era of international trade.
• Institute for International Trade (University of Adelaide)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Institute for International Trade brings together leading academics, experienced trade practitioners and negotiators to address key challenges faced by businesses and governments seeking to expand trade and investment opportunities. Jointly hosts the 'Trade Policy Decoded' podcast with ACITI's Executive Director Dr Prudence Gordon.
• Bryan Clark (ACITI)coreOthersBryan Clark represents ACITI and has hosted the Realising Paperless Trade series, featuring collaborations with various international organizations including UN/CEFACT, ICC Digital Standards Initiative, and Border 5 Customs cooperation.
• UN/CEFACT (United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in the Realising Paperless Trade Series webinar 'Paperless trade and the UN - What is Australia Missing?' with Ian Watt, Vice Chair of the International Supply Chain section of UN/CEFACT and Founder and CEO of NeXTRADE World Pty Ltd.
• Critical Minerals Association AustraliaminorOthersACITI was scheduled to speak to Namali Mackay, Founder and Managing Director of the Critical Minerals Association Australia, about the current state of Australia's trade and investment in critical minerals. Webinar was postponed.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Perth USAsia Centre: Australian think tank conducting research and convening events on Indo-Pacific trade, investment, and economic policy. Comparable to ACITI in combining research with educational outreach to business and government audiences on trade-related themes.
• Asia Society Australia: Australia-based affiliate of the Asia Society network focused on Asia engagement, trade, and policy education. Overlaps with ACITI's audience (business, government, researchers) and educational convening function on Asian trade and investment.
• Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI): Major Australian think tank producing policy research and commentary on international economic and security issues. Comparable to ACITI in its independent research and convening model aimed at policy maker and business audiences.
• Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA): Australia's peak body for international affairs, delivering policy forums, events, and educational programs on Australia's international engagement. Directly comparable to ACITI's mission of advancing international economic literacy through convening and education.
• Lowy Institute: Australia's premier international affairs think tank, producing independent research and analysis on geopolitics, trade, and economic engagement. Highly comparable to ACITI in mission (advancing Australian international engagement through research and convening) and audience overlap (policy makers, diplomats, businesses).
• World Trade Institute (University of Bern): Leading global institution dedicated to trade policy education and research, offering executive courses and academic programs. Directly comparable to ACITI Academy in delivering specialized trade policy training to professionals.

Emerging players

• International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): Global think tank producing research and convening dialogue on geopolitics, including trade implications. Less directly focused on trade policy education than ACITI, but adjacent in policy-research-and-convening audience overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Chatham House: Globally prominent international affairs think tank producing research and convening events on global economic governance and trade. Comparable in research-and-education model, but operates at much greater scale and global remit than ACITI.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC): Global business organization providing policy advocacy, standards (including Digital Standards Initiative), and trade education to businesses. Comparable to ACITI's trade facilitation education work (e.g., Realising Paperless Trade Series) at much larger scale.
• Brookings Institution: Major US-based think tank producing independent research and policy education across global economics and trade. Comparable in thought-leadership and convening role, though operating globally rather than Australia-specific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/6IaWVKGfH4QRGF0ZLs9MSh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-centre-for-international-trade-and-investment

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 Australian Centre for International Trade and Investment