Australian Citizen Science Association

What Australian Citizen Science Association does

The Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA) is a not-for-profit incorporated association founded in 2014 and registered in Queensland, Australia, with a stated headcount of approximately 6 (a part-time National Coordinator plus a volunteer management committee). ACSA functions as the national coordinating body for citizen science in Australia, connecting individual citizen scientists, early and mid-career researchers, government agencies, conservation NGOs, and educational institutions through a portfolio of community programs rather than a unified software product.

Its core offerings include the ACSA Project Finder (delivered through the Atlas of Living Australia's BioCollect platform), the Australian BioBlitz Hub with practitioner guides, the biennial CitSciOz Conference Series, ACSA Seed Grants and EMCR Grants, a quarterly newsletter, and the foundational 10 Principles of Citizen Science. The technology stack is provided by third parties—chiefly the Atlas of Living Australia—rather than developed in-house, and ACSA's primary technical role is curation, community coordination, and policy advocacy rather than platform engineering.

ACSA's revenue is generated through individual and organisational membership subscriptions ($35–$750 per year), a Commonwealth Government grant via the Inspiring Australia Program in partnership with the University of Sydney, event sponsorships tied to its biennial conference, and donations. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on regional chapters, social media, email marketing, and conferences to reach members, with government and NGO funding as the primary scale anchor.

Name

Australian Citizen Science Association

Legal name

Australian Citizen Science Association Inc.

Website

https://citizenscience.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA) is a non-profit association founded in 2014 that serves as the national coordinating body for citizen science in Australia, connecting individual volunteers, researchers, NGOs, and government agencies through conferences, grants, and a project finder.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Maleny

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Individual, concession, organizational, and corporate membership fees provide recurring revenue. Categories include concession ($35), individual ($70), organization ($300 for non-profits/government/educational), and corporate ($750 for companies with 6-15 staff).
2. Commonwealth Government Grant: Primary funding through Inspiring Australia Program, a Commonwealth Government grant, in partnership with University of Sydney.
3. Event Sponsorships: Biannual Citizen Science Conference and other events are delivered in partnership with sponsors who provide financial or in-kind support.
4. Donations: ACSA accepts donations to support its mission of growing into a stronger association and furthering citizen science development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ACSA is a national membership-based nonprofit association that advances citizen science in Australia. Its core offerings include the ACSA Project Finder tool, the Australian BioBlitz Hub with practitioner resources, the biennial CitSciOz Conference Series, grant funding programs (Seed Grants and EMCR Grants), a multi-tiered Membership Program, and advocacy initiatives connecting researchers, practitioners, government agencies, and the public across all Australian states and territories.

Product overview

The Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA) operates as a membership-based nonprofit organization that advances citizen science in Australia through a portfolio of interconnected programs and resources rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include the ACSA Project Finder (integrated with Atlas of Living Australia's Biocollect platform), the Australian BioBlitz Hub with supporting guidelines, and the CitSciOz Conference Series. These are complemented by grant programs (Seed Grants and EMCR Grants), the ACSA Newsletter, membership benefits, and advocacy initiatives. ACSA does not run its own citizen science programs but financially supports and promotes citizen science projects across Australia, functioning primarily as a coordination, advocacy, and community-building organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACSA Project Finder A project discovery tool that allows citizens to locate citizen science programs and projects near them. Integrated with the Atlas of Living Australia's BioCollect platform, enabling nationwide project discovery and data management for citizen scientists across Australia.
• Australian BioBlitz Hub A comprehensive resource hub providing program templates, case studies, and guidelines for designing and delivering BioBlitz biodiversity surveying events across Australia. Targeted at practitioners, environmental groups, councils, and community organisations hosting BioBlitz activities.
• CitSciOz Conference Series Biennial and occasional online conference events that bring together citizen science practitioners, researchers, and enthusiasts to share knowledge, present research, and celebrate citizen science achievements. Events include keynote speakers, sessions, and networking opportunities with sponsors and exhibitors.
• ACSA Seed Grants An annual grant funding program offering two small grants each year to support the growth of citizen science projects or programs in Australia. Available to ACSA members and the broader citizen science community to seed new initiatives.
• EMCR Working Group and Grants A support program for Early and Mid-Career Researchers in citizen science, providing dedicated grant funding opportunities, networking, and professional development specifically targeted at EMCR researchers.
• ACSA Membership Program A tiered annual membership program providing individual and organizational members access to networking, resources, discounted event registration, grant eligibility, and opportunities to influence citizen science policy. Tiers include Concession ($35/yr), Individual ($70/yr), Organisation ($300/yr for up to 5 members), and Corporate ($750/yr for 6-15 staff).
• ACSA T-shirts and Merchandise Branded merchandise including ACSA t-shirts featuring the tools of citizen science design, available to members and non-members to support the association and promote citizen science visibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Convened national citizen science conferences since 2014
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Global Mosquito Alert ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2018International consortium focused on building citizen science capacity for surveillance and control of disease-vector mosquitoes. ACSA Management Committee member Jessie Oliver and member Libby Hepburn are active contributors.
• Wilson CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2018US-based think tank leading the Citizen Science Global Partnership initiative. ACSA Chair Erin Roger and MC member Jessie Oliver contributed ideas and reviews to reports and concept notes.
• Inspiring Australia (Commonwealth Government)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder through a Commonwealth Government grant program. Inspiring Australia is the national strategic partnership for science engagement, supporting citizen science initiatives in partnership with ACSA.
• University of SydneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Inspiring Australia citizen science initiative. The University of Sydney works with ACSA to support and advance citizen science in Australia.
• Atlas of Living Australia (ALA)coreTechnology or IntegrationALA provides the BioCollect platform hosting ACSA's Project Finder and Australian BioBlitz Hub. This integration enables citizen science project discovery and data management across Australia.
• European Citizen Science Association (ECSA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister association that has made Gold Star citizen science resources available through ACSA's International Resources page. Resources cover project lifecycle including initiation, planning, execution, and impact evaluation.
• Queensland Chief ScientistminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACSA contributed to the development of the Queensland Citizen Science Strategy 2019, with input from ACSA Chair Erin Roger and MC members Jessie Oliver and Jennifer Loder.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Earthwatch Institute: Earthwatch is a global environmental nonprofit that engages volunteers in scientific field research and citizen science programs. It shares ACSA's mission of connecting citizens with environmental science, but operates across multiple countries and runs its own paid expedition programs.
• National Geographic Society: National Geographic runs multiple citizen science initiatives (e.g., Pristine Seas, BioBlitz) and provides grant funding and educational resources. It is a broad incumbent in the citizen science engagement space that overlaps with ACSA's mission of advancing public participation in science.
• Atlas of Living Australia (ALA): ALA is ACSA's core technology partner and Australia's national biodiversity data platform, hosting ACSA's Project Finder through BioCollect. Although ALA is a much larger government-backed initiative, it shares the citizen science engagement and biodiversity-monitoring mission that ACSA coordinates.

Emerging players

• Zooniverse: Zooniverse is the world's largest people-powered research platform, hosting hundreds of citizen science projects across disciplines. It overlaps with ACSA's Project Finder from a citizen participation perspective and represents a global alternative to ACSA's national project directory.
• eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology): eBird is one of the largest and most successful citizen science platforms globally, focused on bird observations. It competes with ACSA-coordinated Australian bird projects for volunteer participation and provides an alternative data infrastructure for biodiversity citizen science.
• iNaturalist: iNaturalist is a global citizen science platform for recording and sharing biodiversity observations. It is recommended by ACSA for data collection and offers an alternative to ACSA's Project Finder, competing for the attention and participation of Australian citizen scientists.

Direct peers

• SciStarter: SciStarter is a global online citizen science hub that connects volunteers with projects, training, and events. It performs a discovery and convening function similar to ACSA's Project Finder and membership program, though operating at a larger international scale.
• European Citizen Science Association (ECSA): ECSA is the continental counterpart to ACSA, serving as the recognized citizen science association for Europe. It is explicitly a sister association, with ECSA Gold Star resources made available through ACSA's International Resources page, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Citizen Science Association (CSA): CSA is the principal US-based professional association for citizen science practitioners, researchers, and educators. It mirrors ACSA's role as a national membership body and conference organizer (CitSciSciConf), and serves a similar convening function in the North American market.

Others

• Wilson Center / Citizen Science Global Partnership: The Wilson Center leads the Citizen Science Global Partnership, an international initiative in which ACSA members actively contribute. It is a peer in the sense of shaping international citizen science policy conversations, though it operates as a think tank rather than a membership association.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-citizen-science-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Citizen Science Association