Home Economics Institute of Australia Inc. (HEIA)

What Home Economics Institute of Australia Inc. (HEIA) does

Home Economics Institute of Australia Inc. (HEIA) is the designated peak national professional body for home economists in Australia, incorporated as a nonprofit association in Victoria and headquartered at 605/198 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands. The organisation operates a federated structure of eight divisional branches covering all Australian states and territories (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA), each led by divisional chairs and council delegates, and is affiliated with the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) for global representation. Its core function is to advocate for, develop, and credential home economics professionals working across education (primary, secondary, tertiary), industry (food, nutrition, consumer affairs), and community health, while supporting the next generation of practitioners through scholarships and awards.

HEIA's product and content surface spans the biannual peer-reviewed Journal of the Home Economics Institute of Australia (JHEIA), the monthly HEIA Highlights newsletter, the HEIA-published textbook Nutrition - The Inside Story (3rd Edition, 2020), position papers, and a member-facing publication shop (textbooks, mystery book parcels, World Home Economics Day merchandise). Programming includes a triennial national conference, regular divisional conferences and workshops, an active webinar series, the Flavour Forecast recipe challenge, and an awards programme encompassing HEIA Fellowships, Leadership and Service Awards, and the Dr Janet Reynolds Writing Award. The underlying technology is the Wild Apricot membership management platform, which powers the website, member join/renew flows by state, event registration, the online shop, and the Wild Apricot for Members iOS/Android mobile app.

HEIA's revenue model rests on tiered annual membership subscriptions (individual $130, associate $65, student $50, school group $400, international $130), transactional fees from member-priced events and webinars, and shop sales of publications and merchandise. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: recruitment happens through the website, divisional outreach, professional events, and word-of-mouth within the home economics education community, with advocacy and professional recognition serving as the principal value proposition for member acquisition and retention.

Name

Home Economics Institute of Australia Inc. (HEIA)

Legal name

Home Economics Institute of Australia Inc.

Website

https://heia.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HEIA is Australia's peak national professional body for home economists, operating as a nonprofit membership association across all states and territories. It delivers advocacy, publications, scholarships, conferences, and awards to educators, students, industry, and community health practitioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Docklands

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: HEIA generates primary revenue from annual and multi-year membership fees across multiple tiers including individual, associate, student, not-in-paid-employment, overseas, and school group memberships. Pricing varies by state/territory division and subscription period.
2. Events and professional development: Revenue generated from national conferences, divisional events, workshops, and webinars. Events carry member and non-member pricing. Example: SA professional development day at $60 member / $75 non-member / $10 student.
3. Shop sales: HEIA operates an online shop selling publications (books, mystery book parcels), merchandise (World Home Economics Day tea towels), and event registrations. Prices listed in AUD with member discounts applied.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

HEIA is a nonprofit professional membership association that operates as the peak national body for home economists in Australia. It sells tiered annual memberships (individual, associate, student, school group, international) and delivers accompanying member services including a biannual peer-reviewed journal, monthly newsletter, professional development webinars, national and divisional conferences, awards, scholarships, and advocacy representation to government and industry.

Product overview

HEIA is a professional membership organization (not a traditional software product company) that offers membership services primarily powered by Wild Apricot membership software. The core offering consists of membership subscriptions with tiered pricing (individual, associate, student, school group, international) providing access to publications, professional development, events, and member resources. Key products and services include: the Journal of the Home Economics Institute of Australia (JHEIA) as the flagship peer-reviewed publication issued twice yearly; HEIA Highlights monthly newsletter; webinars on professional development topics; books including the 'Nutrition — The inside story' 3rd edition; mystery book parcels; World Home Economics Day merchandise; and a mobile app for member access. The organization also facilitates awards, scholarships, competitions, and national/divisional events as part of its professional development ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HEIA Membership Subscription Annual membership subscription for individuals working in or studying home economics, with tiered pricing by category (Individual $130/year, Associate $65/year, Student $50/year, School group $400/year for up to 6 teachers, International $130/year). Provides access to JHEIA journal, HEIA Highlights newsletter, member-priced webinars and events, awards, and scholarship eligibility.
• Journal of the Home Economics Institute of Australia (JHEIA) The national peer-reviewed journal of HEIA, published twice per year in digital format, covering topics including food and nutrition, health, families, textiles, education, and sustainability. Available to members and via back-issue sales.
• HEIA Highlights Newsletter Monthly newsletter delivering updates, news, and insights from across HEIA divisions and national areas of interest, distributed to members and subscribers.
• HEIA Professional Development Webinars Regular professional development webinars on topics including AI in home economics classrooms, culinary nutrition, textiles, teacher wellbeing, healthy eating, and Pasifika health outcomes, available at member and non-member pricing (some free to members).
• HEIA National and Divisional Events National conferences, divisional conferences, professional development days, workshops, and the World Home Economics Day celebration (21 March each year), with member and non-member pricing. Examples: HEIA(SA) PD Day at $60 member / $75 non-member / $10 student; HEIA(NT) workshops at $50 member / $65 non-member.
• Nutrition — The Inside Story 3rd Edition (Textbook) Comprehensive print textbook covering food and nutrition topics including Australian Dietary Guidelines, diet-related diseases, country of origin labelling, Health Star Rating system, food security, biotechnology, future foods, digital marketing, food waste, and the impact of nutrition on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and the gut microbiome. Published by HEIA with ISBN 978-0-9804861-3-1. Priced at $45.00 per copy (member) and bulk boxes of 8 at $300.00 (member).
• HEIA Mystery Book Parcels Surprise home economics book parcels available in two-book ($40 member) and three-book ($55 member) options, containing books on recipes, food, textiles, health, or sustainability topics.
• World Home Economics Day Tea Towel Indian cotton tea towel celebrating World Home Economics Day, designed and printed in Melbourne with free postage included, sold at member and non-member pricing ($15 member).
• Wild Apricot for Members Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android allowing HEIA members to access membership details, update profiles, view member-only content and documents, register for events, and receive notifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Scholarships awarded annually to support home economics education and research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEIA is affiliated with the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE), the global peak body for the home economics profession. This affiliation provides Australian home economists with international connections, global advocacy representation, and access to an international professional network.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Dietitians Australia: Australia's peak body for Accredited Practising Dietitians. Overlaps with HEIA on food and nutrition education, professional advocacy, and member development — representing a more commercially successful adjacent profession whose trajectory informs HEIA's strategic options.
• Nutrition Society of Australia: Australia's scientific peak body for nutrition science research and practice. Engages with overlapping audiences (food, nutrition, health professionals) and operates a similar conference, publication, and membership model, making it a closely comparable adjacent peer.
• Textile Institute: A global professional body for textiles, clothing, and fashion professionals. HEIA covers textiles as part of its home economics remit, making the Textile Institute a relevant adjacent peer with overlapping scope on the textile/fashion subset.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL): The Australian peak body for educational leaders across all disciplines. ACEL operates a comparable membership, awards, and professional development model at scale, providing a useful comparison for how HEIA's smaller specialist body positions itself within the broader education leadership landscape.
• International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE): The global peak body for home economics of which HEIA is an Australian affiliate. IFHE operates across 100+ countries and provides HEIA with international connections, making it the most directly comparable global peer in scope and mission.

Regional players

• Home Economics New Zealand: The New Zealand equivalent peak body for home economics professionals. Operates a similar membership, advocacy, and professional development model across the Tasman, making it a near-identical regional peer for HEIA.

Direct peers

• American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS): The US national professional association for family and consumer sciences educators and professionals. AAFCS serves a comparable mission of advancing the home economics profession, offering credentials, publications, and conferences — the closest international direct peer to HEIA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/home-economics-institute-of-australia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Home Economics Institute of Australia Inc. (HEIA)