Australian Centre for Business Growth

What Australian Centre for Business Growth does

The Australian Centre for Business Growth (AUCBG) is a university-affiliated business education provider established in June 2014 by the University of South Australia and now operating as part of Adelaide University. It delivers a structured portfolio of five programs - Business Growth Seminar, Assessment Clinic, Growth Ramp, Growth Modules, and Execute & Grow - targeted at business owners, CEOs, and Managing Directors of Australian SMEs with 5-199 employees. Programs are facilitated by 15 Growth Experts, all current or former business owners, CEOs, or Managing Directors with firsthand experience scaling companies, and are built around a proprietary Knowledge Framework for Growth covering six elements (Products and Services, Marketing and Sales, Dealing with Externalities, Building the Organisation, Financing Growth, and Managing Yourself as a Leader) plus the 12 Growth Stoppers diagnostic framework.

The Centre operates a hybrid delivery model spanning face-to-face sessions in 16 Australian cities and regional locations, Zoom-enabled video cohorts, and a self-paced virtual option via the Growth Portal Learning Management System. Pricing is tiered from $2,900 (Seminar) to $40,500 (Growth Modules for CEO plus two executives), with substantial subsidies negotiated through partnerships with ANZ Banking Group (Foundation Partner), the South Australian, Northern Territory, and Western Australian governments, the South Australian Space Industry Centre, City of Port Adelaide Enfield, and The Circle First Nations Entrepreneur Hub. Customer-facing assets include a longitudinal outcomes database, an in-house podcast (Growth Trust), a webinar series, and a documented case-study portfolio covering 249 Modules graduates and 1,273+ Clinic attendees since inception.

Name

Australian Centre for Business Growth

Legal name

Australian Centre for Business Growth (Adelaide University)

Website

https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Australian Centre for Business Growth is a university-affiliated business education provider that delivers a five-tier program portfolio (Seminar, Assessment Clinic, Growth Ramp, Growth Modules, Execute & Grow) to CEOs and Managing Directors of Australian SMEs with 5-199 employees, facilitated by 15 practitioner Growth Experts across 16 cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Education & Business Growth Coaching

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate & Leadership Development (BPACANAA), Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Venture Creation Centers (EDAHAHAH), Innovation Leadership & Leading Growth (EDABAAAO), Corporate Development & Portfolio Optimization (BPAHADAK)

Keywords

• SME business growth programs
• Executive leadership education
• Growth strategy consulting
• Business coaching services
• Professional development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue generated from fees charged to business owners, CEOs and Managing Directors for attending business growth programs including Assessment Clinic ($5,000), Growth Ramp ($13,500), Growth Modules ($40,500 for CEO + 2 executives), Business Growth Seminar ($2,900), and Execute & Grow ($20,000 for CEO + 2 executives).
2. Subsidized Program Delivery: Programs partially or fully subsidized by government and corporate funding partners (ANZ, SA Government, NT Government, WA Government), with the Centre receiving funding to deliver programs to eligible companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Australian Centre for Business Growth delivers structured business growth programs (Assessment Clinic, Business Growth Seminar, Growth Ramp, Growth Modules, Execute & Grow) to SME business owners, CEOs and Managing Directors across Australia. Programs are facilitated by Growth Experts (former CEOs/MDs) and apply a proprietary Knowledge Framework for Growth covering six elements: Products and Services, Marketing and Sales, Dealing with Externalities, Building the Organisation, Financing Growth, and Managing Yourself as a Leader.

Product overview

The Australian Centre for Business Growth offers a portfolio of five business growth programs designed to teach SME leaders critical knowledge, skills, and values for growth. The progression begins with the Assessment Clinic (one-day diagnostic) or Business Growth Seminar (one-day overview), advancing to Growth Ramp (6-month intensive for 5-11 employee companies) or Growth Modules (three-module intensive for CEO plus executive teams). Execute & Grow serves as the most advanced tier for Growth Modules alumni. All programs are delivered by Growth Experts—former business owners, CEOs, and Managing Directors—and incorporate the Centre's Knowledge Framework for Growth covering six elements: Products and Services, Marketing and Sales, Dealing with Externalities, Building the Organisation, Financing Growth, and Managing Yourself as a Leader.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assessment Clinic A comprehensive one-day clinic for business owners, CEOs, and Managing Directors ready to grow their companies, available in face-to-face, Zoom-enabled, or self-paced virtual formats with 4-6 participants per cohort. Participants develop a Company Growth Action Plan and Leadership Development Plan.
• Business Growth Seminar A one-day seminar providing business owners, CEOs, and MDs with tools and insights needed to accelerate company growth, delivered face-to-face with 7-20 participants.
• Growth Ramp A targeted 6-month program for business owners, CEOs, and MDs of companies with 5-11 employees, consisting of six monthly one-day sessions via Zoom or in-person, complemented by six one-hour coaching calls.
• Growth Modules An advanced program consisting of three intensive three-day modules delivered over 9 months. The business owner is joined by executive team members to develop shared knowledge and skills around building an organisation that can sustain growth, culminating in a one-year operational plan and three-year strategic plan.
• Execute & Grow An advanced two-module program designed for Growth Modules alumni who want to continue growing with guidance from Growth Experts and peer groups, including two two-day modules held six months apart with coaching sessions and ongoing LMS access.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16% average annual revenue increase for participating companies (FY23)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered foundation and core.

• Adelaide UniversityfoundationStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Australian Centre for Business Growth is part of Adelaide University. Established in June 2014 by antecedent institution the University of South Australia. Programs developed and delivered under university governance.
• ACTIO GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTerritory-based advisory firm serving as local front door for NT companies keen to participate in award-winning business growth programs.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gazelles / Scaling Up (Verne Harnish): Provider of the Scaling Up methodology, workshops, and coaching for growth-stage SMEs, focused on Rockefeller Habits, strategic planning, and execution. Closely aligned with AUCBG's growth-stage SME curriculum and facilitator-led delivery model.
• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): Global peer network for founders and CEOs of businesses typically exceeding $1M in revenue, offering peer learning groups, learning events, and accelerator programs. Directly comparable in serving SME executive development and growth-stage companies.
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): Premier global leadership community for chief executives, providing peer learning forums, executive education, and growth-stage programming. Comparable to AUCBG in serving senior leaders of growth companies seeking structured peer-based growth and leadership development.
• Vistage Worldwide: Global peer advisory organization that organizes CEO and executive peer groups with monthly facilitated sessions, coaching, and speaker events. Highly comparable to AUCBG's SME executive growth and peer-learning model, though operating globally and at much larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Business School Executive Education: Premier global executive education provider with broad portfolio covering leadership, strategy, and growth. Comparable at the executive education category level — though significantly larger and more generalist than AUCBG's SME focus.
• MIT Sloan Executive Education: Global executive education provider offering leadership and growth programs for senior executives. Comparable as a much larger, brand-dominant incumbent in executive education with overlapping themes (strategy, innovation, leadership) but focused on premium open-enrolment rather than SME-tailored peer programs.
• Bain & Company: Global management consulting firm advising business leaders on strategy, operations, and growth. Overlaps with AUCBG's strategy and growth advisory content but operates at enterprise scale via paid consulting engagements rather than cohort-based education.

Emerging players

• EO Melbourne Accelerator / Purposeful: Australia-based executive peer advisory and coaching providers that overlap with AUCBG's audience of Australian SME CEOs seeking structured growth support, though with smaller footprint and less formal research-backed curriculum.

Regional players

• Glenmore Group: Australian peer advisory and executive education provider serving SME CEOs and Managing Directors. Regionally comparable to AUCBG in Australia, with similar peer-group facilitation but a different methodology and brand.

Others

• Adelaide Business School (Adelaide University): Internal parent-adjacent business school within Adelaide University. Comparable as a fellow university-based provider of management and leadership education programs, though targeting degree and short-course students rather than SME executive growth programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLRzoqf-R5o4YTWB_NtQ_KFKD_t_zlhx2H
• Facebookfacebook.com/aucbg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centreforbusinessgrowth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Business Growth