The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia

What The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia does

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia is a Sydney-headquartered not-for-profit company limited by guarantee that operates as the National Award Operator (NAO) for the Duke of Ed under licence from the London-based International Award Foundation. Founded in 1959 and delivering programs for over 60 years, the organization accredits non-formal learning outcomes for young Australians aged 14-24 through a structured four-section framework — Service, Skills, Physical Recreation, and Adventurous Journey — across Bronze, Silver, and Gold award levels. Delivery runs through more than 1,000 registered Duke of Ed Centres nationwide, spanning schools, community organizations, and government agencies, with State and Territory Award Operating Authorities (AOAs) managing jurisdictional rollout. Direct channels include the Online Record Book (ORB) for participant registration and progress logging, DukeConnect for centre management, and a Digital Credentials platform for verifiable award recognition. Recent strategic emphasis has been on sport, emergency-services, and defence-cadet partnerships (Football NSW, NSW SES, Australian Defence Force cadet branches), the Disadvantaged Youth Program aligned to the federal Better and Fairer Schools Agreement 2025-2034, and a leadership refresh with a new CEO (Helen White, 2026) and COO (Jan Ridd, September 2025). Revenue is generated through licensing arrangements with delivery partners, donor contributions across multiple tiers (Award Friend, Ambassador, Business Ambassador, World Fellow, Benefactor, Principal Sponsor), and government/institutional partnerships; specific financials are not publicly disclosed.

Name

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia

Website

https://dukeofed.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia is a Sydney-based not-for-profit that accredits non-formal education for 14-24 year-olds across Australia through a four-section Bronze/Silver/Gold framework, delivered via 1,000+ licensed centres, schools, community organizations, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Non-Formal Education

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD), Digital/Interactive Curriculum Content (Apps, Games, Multimedia Lessons) (EDACAJAK)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Non-formal education
• Extracurricular accreditation
• Award framework
• Volunteer recognition

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Delivery Partnerships: The Duke of Ed generates revenue through licensing agreements with delivery partner organizations (schools, community groups) and government agencies. The organization is a non-profit that operates under license from the International Award Foundation.
2. Donor Support: Funding from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and supporters. Categories include Award Friend, Award Ambassador, Business Ambassador, World Fellow, Award Benefactor, and Principal Sponsor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia accredits young people's non-formal learning through a structured four-section framework (Service, Skills, Physical Recreation, and Adventurous Journey) at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. The program is delivered to young Australians aged 14-24 via more than 1,000 registered Duke of Ed Centres including schools, community organizations, and government agencies, supported by the Online Record Book (ORB) digital platform and Digital Credentials system.

Product overview

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia offers a unified non-formal education framework for young people aged 14-24, structured around four sections (Service, Skills, Physical Recreation, and Adventurous Journey) at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. The organization's digital ecosystem consists of the Online Record Book (ORB) for participant progress tracking and DukeConnect for Centre management. The Award Framework serves as the core accreditation system, supplemented by Digital Credentials for verifiable digital proof of achievement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ORB (Online Record Book): Online Record Book platform for tracking Duke of Ed progress
• Digital Credentials
• DukeConnect

Products and services

• Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Framework A non-formal education framework that accredits young people's achievements across four sections (Service, Skills, Physical Recreation, and Adventurous Journey) at three progressive levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold), for participants aged 14-24 delivered through licensed centres.
• Online Record Book (ORB)

Named customers1 record

Segments4 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• International Award FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe International Award Foundation is the global parent organization responsible for the Duke of Ed's worldwide delivery and growth. It operates through a network of 130 National Award Operators and drives expansion into new countries while supporting consistency across the global Duke of Ed Framework. Patron and Chairman: His Royal Highness The Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh KG KT GCVO.
• Scouts AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Delivery Partner that supports Scouts completing the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award alongside their Scouting activities.
• Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational Duke of Ed Centre for Australian Air Force Cadets. Contact: SQNLDR Marian Jackson. Cadets can complete their Duke of Ed through AAFC activities.
• NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSW SES has partnered with the Duke of Ed to support young Australians in developing human skills, confidence, and community impact through emergency service volunteering.
• Football NSWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball NSW has formal support for the Duke of Ed program, providing opportunities for football participants to engage in the Duke of Ed Framework.
• NSW Office of SportcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAward Operating Authority (AOA) for NSW, responsible for delivering the Duke of Ed in NSW through its licensed network of centres.
• Queensland Department of EducationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAward Operating Authority (AOA) for Queensland, managing Duke of Ed delivery across Queensland schools and organizations.
• Australian Defence ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Duke of Ed has formal partnerships with Australian Army Cadets, Australian Air Force Cadets, and Australian Navy Cadets, providing structured pathways for young people in defence-aligned youth organizations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Australian Red Cross: Large NFP with significant youth education programs (volunteering, first aid, humanitarian credentials) that overlap with the Duke of Ed's Service component; comparable as a broader, well-resourced player in non-formal youth accreditation.
• The Smith Family: Large Australian NFP focused on disadvantaged young people's education and life skills; comparable as a similarly scaled youth-outcomes operator with corporate/donor funding and government contracting.
• YMCA Australia: Major community NFP delivering youth leadership, recreation and personal development programmes nationwide; comparable in scale, youth demographic and licensed/branch-based delivery model.
• Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation: The global parent foundation operating the Award across 130 countries; comparable as the umbrella body responsible for the framework, branding and quality standards that the Australian NAO delivers under licence.

Direct peers

• Outward Bound International: Global non-formal education provider focused on outdoor/adventurous journey-based personal development for young people; the Adventurous Journey component of the Duke of Ed Framework is directly modelled on this category of experiential learning.
• Scouts Australia: National youth development organisation delivering non-formal learning and badge-based progression for young Australians; a direct Duke of Ed delivery partner and the most comparable organisation in mission, target demographic (14–24) and badge/credential structure.
• Girl Guides Australia: Australian youth organisation offering non-formal personal development and recognised achievement pathways for girls and young women; directly comparable in target demographic, volunteer-led delivery, and structured badge/credential framework that intersects with the Duke of Ed.
• Australian Air Force Cadets: National youth defence-cadet organisation providing structured non-formal training and accredited achievements for 13–18 year-olds; operates as both a Duke of Ed Centre and a parallel credentialing pathway for the same demographic.

Emerging players

• Headspace (National Youth Mental Health Foundation): Federally funded youth wellbeing organisation addressing life-skills and transition needs of 12–25 year-olds; adjacent in mission (youth development for 14–24 demographic) and government funding model but with a mental-health specialisation.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia: Youth mentoring NFP targeting similar age cohorts and disadvantaged youth; comparable in volunteer-led delivery, donor funding model and outcomes-based reporting on youth personal development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiR3cXau0RhBhlnxeUKGVhQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheDukeofEd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-duke-of-edinburgh's-international-award---australia
• Instagraminstagram.com/dukeofedaus
• TikToktiktok.com/@dukeofedaus

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia