AUSSEF - Australian Science and Engineering Fair

What AUSSEF - Australian Science and Engineering Fair does

AUSSEF (Australian Science and Engineering Fair) is a not-for-profit public company, founded in 2022 and headquartered in Sydney, NSW, that operates Australasia's only ISEF-affiliated national STEM competition (affiliation code AUS004). The organization runs a three-staged national judging process for Australian Year 9-12 students who have completed substantial projects in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics, selecting the top nine projects to represent the region at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Selected students win all-expenses-paid trips to compete internationally. AUSSEF also fields teams to CASTIC (China Adolescents Science & Technology Innovation Contest), which it joined in 2024. The organization is 100% volunteer-run, governed by a 20-member steering committee with combined experience of 39 ISEF competitions, and is auspicied by the Royal Society of Victoria for financial administration.

The core product is the AUSSEF Competition itself, supported by an online project submission portal and a structured three-stage judging framework (Stage 1 shortlisting, Stage 2 narrowing, and Stage 3 video interviews with the ISEF Selection Panel). Underlying technology is minimal: a Google Forms-based submission system plus a website/database targeting a 3,002-school, 1,108-principal, 1,113-STEM-head outreach network in Australia. There are no proprietary software products, APIs, or integrations disclosed.

Revenue is generated exclusively through tax-deductible corporate sponsorships and individual donations. Sponsorship is structured in Gold ($10,000+), Silver ($5,000+), and Bronze ($500+) tiers, with contributions exceeding AUD $120,000 for the 2026 ISEF team and 30+ new sponsors onboarded that year. Customer segments include Year 9-12 STEM students (primary), Australian schools and STEM teachers, and state-level competition winners seeking international pathways; geographic scope is Australasia including New Zealand and other Oceania countries.

Name

AUSSEF - Australian Science and Engineering Fair

Legal name

Australian Science and Engineering Fair

Website

https://aussef.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AUSSEF is a volunteer-run Australian not-for-profit that operates Australasia's only ISEF-affiliated national STEM competition, selecting Year 9-12 students via a three-staged judging process to represent the region at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and CASTIC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Competitions and Education Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Fair Competitions (Science Fairs, Research Symposiums) (EDAMAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM Competitions & Olympiads (Science Bowls, STEM Challenges) (EDAMABAL), Advanced STEM & Competition Coaching (MathCounts/AMC/AIME/USAMO, Science Olympiad, Physics/Chem Olympiads) (EDANAKAF), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• STEM competitions
• Science fairs
• Pre-collegiate research
• STEM education programs
• Youth science competitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide funding at Gold ($10,000+), Silver ($5,000+), and Bronze ($500+) tiers to support student travel and competition participation at ISEF. Over $120,000 was raised for the 2026 ISEF team.
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting student participation at international science fairs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AUSSEF operates a national STEM competition for Australian Year 9-12 students who have completed substantial projects in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics. The organization runs a three-staged national judging process to select the top nine projects, who then win an all-expenses-paid trip to represent Australia at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). It also coordinates Australian participation at CASTIC and serves as Australasia's sole ISEF-affiliated fair (AUS004).

Product overview

AUSSEF (Australian Science and Engineering Fair) operates as a unified competition platform for Australian school students in Years 9-12. The core offering is the AUSSEF Competition itself, a national STEM fair that serves as Australasia's only pathway to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The organization also provides an online Project Submission System for students to upload their entries, and manages a Three-Stage Judging Process to select the top nine projects for international competition. Students winning AUSSEF earn all-expenses-paid trips to compete at ISEF in Los Angeles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AUSSEF National STEM Competition A national STEM competition for Australian school students from Years 9-12 who have completed substantial projects in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics. A three-staged national judging process selects the best nine projects to win an all-expenses-paid trip to represent Australia at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The competition also feeds students to CASTIC in China as part of Australia's international STEM representation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record-breaking 5 Grand Awards at ISEF 2024 from 9 projects (previously max 4 in 25 years of Australian ISEF participation)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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 core and minor.

• Society for Science (ISEF Organizers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Society for Science organizes the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world's largest pre-collegiate science fair. AUSSEF holds official ISEF affiliation (AUS004) as Australasia's only pathway to ISEF. Society for Science provides Grand Award judging criteria, category frameworks, and access to the competition.
• Schiess EmbroideryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026In-kind sponsor embroidering AUSSEF team garments for professional appearance at international competitions.
• Inside EaglesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026In-kind sponsor providing pro bono company establishment assistance for AUSSEF operations.
• Royal Society of VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Manages funding transactions for student travel and competition expenses. Key administrative partner for financial operations.
• CASTIC (China Adolescents Science & Technology Innovation Contest)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024AUSSEF sends teams to compete at Asia's largest school student science fair in Tianjin, China. First team sent in 2024 with invitation following strong ISEF performance.
• FASTSIGNS Columbus / FASTSIGNSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Prints and assembles 6-foot by 5-foot tri-fold project posters for ISEF finalists. Provides in-kind support for professional display materials.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Society for Science: Organizer of the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and the Science Talent Search. AUSSEF is an official ISEF affiliate (AUS004), making Society for Science both the parent organization and the most directly comparable operator in the same science fair ecosystem.
• Australian Mathematics Trust / AMT: Australian non-profit running the Mathematics Olympiad programs (AMC, AIME, International Mathematical Olympiad) for school students. Closest Australian direct peer with comparable national competition pathway model and similar volunteer/non-profit structure.
• Regeneron Science Talent Search (Society for Science): US-based pre-collegiate science competition run by Society for Science with multi-million dollar prizes. Directly comparable to AUSSEF's ISEF pathway in structure, audience (high school STEM students), and international prestige.
• Science Olympiad (USA): Runs US national STEM olympiad competitions across multiple disciplines including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering for high school students. Closely analogous competition structure and mission to AUSSEF in a different national market.
• CASTIC - China Adolescents Science & Technology Innovation Contest: Asia's largest school student science fair held in China. AUSSEF sends teams to compete at CASTIC and topped medal count in 2024, operating a comparable student-led STEM competition pathway model in a parallel geography.
• CSIRO Crest Awards: Australia's nationally recognized STEM project-based awards for school students, frequently serving as a feeder pathway into AUSSEF. Operates a similar competition model for Australian secondary students completing substantial STEM projects.

Emerging players

• STEM Racing (F1 in Schools): International STEM competition for school students focused on engineering design and racing. Has Australian operations and competes for the same Year 9-12 STEM student mindshare as AUSSEF, though with a narrower engineering focus.
• FIRST Robotics: Global K-12 STEM competition organizer (FIRST LEGO League, FTC, FRC) with strong Australian presence. Operates in adjacent STEM competition space with a robotics/engineering focus rather than open-ended science fair projects.

Regional players

• Big Bang Fair (UK): UK's largest STEM celebration and competition for young people. Operates as a comparable national STEM competition platform but in a different geography, making it more of a regional peer than direct competitor.

Others

• ConocoPhillips Science Experience / CSIRO Education: Australia's national science agency CSIRO runs broader STEM education and outreach programs. Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem participant addressing related Australian STEM pipeline development with deeper institutional resources.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=gBzD_UBnQnw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aussef

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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