Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience

What Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience does

The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) is a non-profit national institute for disaster risk reduction and resilience in Australia, founded in 2015 through a partnership between AFAC (Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council) and Australian Red Cross. AIDR operates as an operating division of AFAC and is contracted with the Australian Government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to create, curate, and mobilise disaster resilience knowledge. It serves federal, state, and territory emergency management agencies, local governments, emergency management volunteers, schools, and community groups across Australia.

AIDR's core infrastructure is its Knowledge Hub digital platform (knowledge.aidr.org.au), which hosts the Australian Disaster Resilience Handbook Collection (20+ handbooks covering emergency planning, evacuation, warnings, recovery, and hazard-specific topics), the Australian Journal of Emergency Management (a quarterly peer-reviewed journal published since 1986), the Australian Disaster Resilience Glossary (over 3,000 terms integrating nine national and international glossaries), and the annual Major Incidents Report. The institution complements its open-access knowledge products with a professional development program (masterclasses, workshops, forums), the annual Australian Disaster Resilience Conference, the long-running Resilient Australia Awards program, and specialized initiatives for volunteers and schools.

The revenue model is anchored in a government service contract via NEMA, supplemented by registration fees for professional development events (masterclasses, workshops, conferences) and sales of printed handbook editions through the AFAC marketplace. Most digital knowledge products are provided free as open-access resources under a Creative Commons license. AIDR distributes its products through the global Knowledge Hub platform, event-based engagement across Australian capitals, and partner networks spanning AFAC member agencies, Australian Red Cross, and state and territory emergency management organizations.

Name

Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience

Legal name

Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience

Website

https://aidr.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) is a non-profit national institute that creates, curates, and mobilises disaster resilience knowledge in Australia. Operating as an AFAC division under a NEMA government contract, it serves emergency management professionals, government agencies, schools, and community groups through its Knowledge Hub platform, handbooks, and programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disaster Resilience Knowledge Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) & Preparedness (BPADADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disaster Preparedness, Risk Reduction & Early Warning (DRR) (BPAGAAAB), Emergency Education / Education in Emergencies (EiE) (BPADADAN), Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Education (CPR/First Aid/Disaster Readiness) (EDAAAFAJ)

Keywords

• Disaster resilience knowledge
• Emergency management publications
• Disaster risk reduction
• Resilience professional development
• Emergency management research

Headquarters

HQ city

East Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contract: AIDR operates as an operating division of AFAC, contracted by the Australian Government through the National Emergency Management Agency for the delivery of a range of products and services related to disaster resilience.
2. Professional Development Events: Revenue generated from professional development events including masterclasses, workshops, and conferences. Events such as Meteorology for Disaster Resilience Masterclass and other professional development offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AIDR creates, curates, and mobilises disaster resilience knowledge for Australia's emergency management sector through the Knowledge Hub digital platform, the Australian Disaster Resilience Handbook Collection, the Australian Journal of Emergency Management, the Australian Disaster Resilience Glossary, annual Major Incidents and Riskscape Reports, and the Australian Disaster Resilience Conference. It complements these knowledge products with fee-based professional development programs (masterclasses, workshops, forums), the Resilient Australia Awards recognition program, and education resources for schools and young people.

Product overview

AIDR operates as a national institute for disaster risk reduction and resilience, offering a portfolio of interconnected knowledge products and programs. The core platform is the Knowledge Hub, an online portal hosting the Australian Disaster Resilience Handbook Collection (with 20+ individual handbooks covering topics from emergency planning to tsunami planning), the Australian Journal of Emergency Management (quarterly peer-reviewed journal since 1986), the Major Incidents Report and Riskscape Report (annual publications documenting disasters and systemic risks), and the Australian Disaster Resilience Glossary (3,000+ terms). AIDR complements its knowledge products with professional development programs including masterclasses, workshops, and the annual Australian Disaster Resilience Conference. The organization also runs recognition programs (Resilient Australia Awards), volunteer forums, and education programs for young people. The handbook collection includes authoritative titles such as the Lessons Management Handbook, Public Information and Warnings Handbook, Managing Exercises Handbook, Australian Emergency Management Arrangements Handbook, Tsunami Emergency Planning Handbook, Health and Disaster Management Handbook, Community Engagement Handbook, Community Recovery Handbook, and Evacuation Planning Handbook. These products work together to build sector capability and shared knowledge before, during, and after disasters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Knowledge Hub A comprehensive online portal providing access to disaster resilience knowledge resources, including handbooks, reports, journals, glossaries, collections, and training materials for the Australian emergency management sector.
• Australian Disaster Resilience Handbook Collection A national collection of authoritative handbooks providing guidance on disaster resilience and emergency management topics for emergency management practitioners, government agencies, and local councils.
• Australian Journal of Emergency Management (AJEM) A quarterly peer-reviewed journal publishing research, analysis, lessons learned, and insights on emergency and disaster management issues for practitioners and researchers at all levels.
• Australian Disaster Resilience Conference An annual national conference bringing together emergency management professionals to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and exchange practical approaches to community engagement and disaster preparedness.
• Major Incidents Report An annual report documenting large-scale disasters with Australian impacts, helping emergency management professionals and researchers understand what happened, impacts, and lessons learned.
• Australian Disaster Resilience Glossary An integrated online glossary with over 3,000 disaster resilience and emergency management terms and definitions, providing consistency across Australian jurisdictions.
• Resilient Australia Awards A national awards program recognising and celebrating achievements in disaster resilience across Australian communities, governments, and organisations.
• Professional Development Program Educational programs including masterclasses (such as Meteorology for Disaster Resilience), workshops, and training events building capability in the emergency management sector.
• Education for Young People Program A program providing disaster resilience education resources and materials for schools and young people, including curriculum-aligned content and classroom resources.
• Riskscape Report An annual companion report to the Major Incidents Report outlining systemic drivers that may have impacted individual, organisational and community risk during the year.
• Australian Emergency Management Volunteer Forum A forum providing opportunities for emergency management volunteers to connect, share experiences, and develop leadership capabilities.
• Volunteer Leadership Program A program designed to build leadership skills and capacity among emergency management volunteers across Australia.
• Recovery Exercising Toolkit Evidence-based guidance and specialised resources, templates and slides enabling exercise planners to develop and facilitate recovery-focused exercises based on nationally recognised methodology.

Named customers5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Natural Hazards Research AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026AIDR is a key partner in the Foundations in Indigenous disaster resilience project developing a National Framework for Indigenous Disaster Resilience. AIDR attends the annual Natural Hazards Research Forum and collaborates on research translation and knowledge development. Natural Hazards Research Australia produces the annual Natural Hazards Research Forum where AIDR engages with the research community.
• Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIDR is an operating division of AFAC, formed through a partnership between AFAC and Australian Red Cross. AFAC hosts and manages AIDR's business operations, including event terms and conditions, privacy policy, and marketplace for printed handbooks. AFAC's member agencies (23+ fire and emergency services organizations) form the core emergency management network AIDR serves.
• Australian Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian Red Cross partnered with AFAC to form AIDR. Personal information may be shared with Australian Red Cross for the purpose of AIDR undertaking its business activities. AIDR and Red Cross collaborate on recovery resources, community engagement, and knowledge development initiatives including roundtables on compounding and cascading disasters.
• National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn behalf of AIDR, AFAC has contracted with the Australian Government through NEMA for the delivery of a range of products and services. NEMA leads national exercises (Exercise NEXUS), and AIDR contributes to national disaster risk reduction frameworks and initiatives under this partnership.
• NSW Rural Fire ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the 2026 Australian Community Engagement and Fire Awareness Conference. AFAC sponsored the event and AIDR staff connected with delegates through exhibition space to raise awareness of AIDR and AFAC's work supporting the emergency management sector.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Bushfire & Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre: Previously a major Australian research collaboration producing research on bushfire and natural hazard resilience. Strongly comparable to AIDR's research translation mandate and shared emergency management audience.
• NZ Red Cross: New Zealand humanitarian organization focused on disaster preparedness and recovery. Comparable as a regional Red Cross society working alongside Australian Red Cross in resilience and community engagement.

Direct peers

• Natural Hazards Research Australia: Australia's leading natural hazards research body; co-produces the National Framework for Indigenous Disaster Resilience with AIDR. Directly comparable as a national research and knowledge mobilization institution in disaster resilience.
• Australian Red Cross: Co-founder of AIDR and a core humanitarian organization in Australian disaster response. Comparable in disaster preparedness, recovery, and community engagement mission areas; collaborates with AIDR on shared initiatives.
• National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA Australia): Australia's federal agency for emergency management policy and disaster response. Directly comparable to AIDR as the principal public sector counterpart driving national disaster resilience frameworks and funding AIDR's contract. Operates in the same regulatory and capability ecosystem.
• Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC): Parent organization of AIDR and peak body for 23+ fire and emergency service agencies. Closest institutional peer; shares governance footprint, member agency network, and event delivery infrastructure with AIDR.

Broad incumbents

• UNDRR (UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction): UN body responsible for coordinating global disaster risk reduction, including custodianship of the Sendai Framework. Comparable as the global authority on DRR; AIDR's work feeds into UNDRR frameworks and vice versa.
• FEMA (US Federal Emergency Management Agency): US federal agency for emergency management and disaster preparedness. Comparable in national-level coordination of emergency management knowledge, training, and standards; serves as a structural analogue rather than direct competitor.

Regional players

• Resilience New Zealand (NEMA NZ): New Zealand's emergency management authority. Comparable as a national-level counterpart in the Australasian region, with parallel knowledge and readiness functions across the Tasman.
• Emergency Management Victoria: Victoria's state-level emergency management agency and direct consumer of AIDR's handbook collection. Comparable in emergency management training and capability building at a sub-national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/7794318
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqccB5VGfTwP19aiKqru6sQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aidr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience