Australian Principals Federation

What Australian Principals Federation does

The Australian Principals Federation (APF) is a federally registered industrial union and professional association exclusively representing Principal Class Employees — school principals and teachers acting in principal-class positions — in the government school sectors of Victoria and Western Australia. The organisation originated in 1988 as the Victorian Principals Federation, was renamed to APF in December 2003 when it extended membership to Western Australian principals, and secured continuous federal registration under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (validated by the High Court in May 2012). It is governed by an elected Federal Council and State Councils, and operates from a head office at Suite 311/19 Milton Parade, Malvern, Victoria.

The APF's core offering is membership-based industrial representation: legal advice, advocacy, and representation for principals facing complaints, discipline, conflict resolution, contract renewal, performance matters, and workplace investigations before statutory authorities including the Fair Work Commission, Worksafe, the Human Rights Commission, the Victorian Institute of Teaching, and VCAT. It also conducts collective enterprise bargaining negotiation on behalf of members with state Departments of Education. Member services are delivered through a third-party membership portal (Member Jungle), e-newsletters, annual seminars and AGMs, and a partner ecosystem of member-benefit providers. There is no proprietary technology platform or AI capability; the underlying infrastructure is a standard SaaS membership-management system with no differentiation at the technology layer.

Revenue is generated entirely through recurring subscription membership fees — $816 per annum or $68 per month (GST inclusive), fully tax deductible. No revenue figure is publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led and direct: principals self-enrol via the website portal, with no intermediated sales motion. Membership renewal is the primary retention mechanic, and a small staff of approximately five named officers (Executive Officer, Industrial Officer, Support Officer) plus elected council members execute operations.

Name

Australian Principals Federation

Legal name

Australian Principals Federation

Website

https://apf.net.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Australian Principals Federation is a federally registered industrial union exclusively serving Principal Class Employees in Victorian and Western Australian government schools, providing legal representation, advocacy, and enterprise bargaining services on a $816/year membership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Malvern

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The APF generates revenue through annual and monthly membership fees from Principal Class Employees in Victorian and Western Australian government schools. Membership fees are fully tax deductible for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Australian Principals Federation provides industrial representation, advocacy, and employment-related legal support exclusively to Principal Class Employees in Victorian and Western Australian government schools. It negotiates enterprise bargaining outcomes, advises individual members on workplace matters, and represents members before employer and tribunal bodies. Membership is delivered on a subscription basis and is fully tax deductible.

Product overview

The Australian Principals Federation offers a membership-based union service platform providing industrial representation, advocacy, and professional support exclusively for Principal Class Employees in Victorian and Western Australian government schools. The core offering consists of membership services, industrial representation, and EBA negotiation, delivered through a Member Portal (Member Jungle) platform for accessing resources, awards, agreements, and governance documents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• APF Membership (Annual Subscription) Annual subscription ($1,100 per year, fully tax deductible) that grants Principal Class Employees access to the federation's industrial representation, advocacy, and member support services. Individuals eligible to claim over 50% of the subscription back as a tax deduction.
• APF Membership (Monthly Subscription) Monthly subscription ($110 per month, fully tax deductible) that grants Principal Class Employees access to the federation's industrial representation, advocacy, and member support services, offered as an alternative payment cadence to the annual subscription.
• Industrial Representation and Advocacy Specialised industrial representation and advocacy for Principal Class Employees in Victorian and Western Australian government schools, including support with workplace matters, employer engagement, and protection of principal-specific employment conditions.
• Enterprise Bargaining Negotiation Negotiation of enterprise bargaining outcomes on behalf of Principal Class Employees in Victorian and Western Australian government schools, covering wages, conditions, and statutory employment entitlements specific to principals.
• Employment Legal Support and Advice Employment-related legal advice and support for Principal Class Employees in Victorian and Western Australian government schools, including assistance with workplace disputes and tribunal-related matters.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TheirCareminorOthersTheirCare is a quality Out of School Hours Care provider that partners with schools. They offer services to make a difference to schools and communities.
• Hands on Heads LiteracyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHands on Heads Literacy works with upper primary and lower secondary classroom teachers, literacy leaders and school leadership teams to build teacher capacity to teach with clarity, confidence, and consistency. They deliver Instructional Literacy Coaching, Professional Learning opportunities, and consulting services.
• Free AgencyminorOthersFree Agency is founded and managed by teachers, supplying quality teachers to schools in a hassle free, personable and reliable manner. They have Primary Team and Secondary Team contacts.
• Teeth On WheelsminorOthersTeeth On Wheels is a leading mobile dental service dedicated to bringing high-quality dental care directly to schools, ensuring every child receives dental care in a convenient and stress-free environment.
• Frontier Financial GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrontier Financial Group understands that school principals are at the heart of their communities. They offer financial planning services and are offering complimentary financial planning sessions to APF members to help plan retirement and next steps.
• Business Managers Victoria (BMV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe APF values the collegial and collaborative relationship with Business Managers Victoria (BMV), celebrating their 50 years of dedicated service to the Victorian education community. Together they recognize the essential role business managers play in supporting school leadership and delivering the best outcomes for students.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Business Managers Victoria (BMV): Victorian association for school business managers and a listed strategic partner of APF. Comparable as a membership-based education-sector professional association with subscription revenue, though focused on a distinct (non-principal) school workforce.
• Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU): Federal union representing public sector workers including some education administrators. Comparable in federal registration and subscription/EBA model, and adjacent in that some public-sector principals could conceivably fall under its coverage.

Direct peers

• Australian Education Union (AEU): The dominant federal union representing teachers, principals and education support staff across all Australian states. Directly competes with APF for the same Principal Class membership base in Victoria and Western Australia and has historically challenged APF's federal registration.
• Independent Education Union of Australia (IEU): Federally registered union for teachers and principals in non-government schools. Highly comparable in structure, federal registration status and membership model to APF, but serves a different sub-segment (independent schools).

Broad incumbents

• Australian Medical Association (AMA): Large national professional membership association for doctors. Comparable in its subscription-funded advocacy, industrial negotiation (for salaried doctors) and exclusive-niche positioning versus APF, but operates at significantly greater scale in a higher-revenue profession.
• Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF): Federally registered union for nurses and midwives with state branches and an EBA negotiation model very similar to APF's structure. Comparable in federal registration, subscription revenue model and advocacy focus on a defined professional class.

Regional players

• NSW Teachers Federation: State-level teacher and principal union serving NSW. Closely comparable industrial representation and EBA negotiation model to APF, but restricted to a different geographic market that APF does not currently serve.
• Queensland Teachers' Union (QTU): State-level teacher and principal union for Queensland with a comparable subscription-based membership and EBA bargaining model. Operates as a regional equivalent of APF in a different state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-principals-federation-apf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Principals Federation