Queensland Debating Union
Queensland Debating Union Inc. is a nonprofit, registered charity and Queensland's peak body for school debating, running annual competitions and training programs for Grades 5-12 students across Brisbane, Toowoomba, and the Gold Coast.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMilton, Australia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Queensland Debating Union does
Queensland Debating Union Inc. (QDU) is a nonprofit, registered charity incorporated in Queensland, Australia, operating as the state's peak body for school debating. The organization runs annual debating competitions for Grades 5 to 12 across Brisbane, Toowoomba, and the Gold Coast, with programs structured in four rounds across school terms; through its affiliation with the Australian Debating Federation, QDU selects and fields the Queensland Schools State Team at the annual National Schools Debating Championship. Operations are delivered to a customer base of thousands of school students annually across the state.
The core technology platform is the Competition Management System (CMS), an internal web application (cms1.qdu.org.au) where school coordinators register teams, view draws, access topics, request postponements, and manage forfeits. Training delivery combines QDU Academy (free live pre-debate sessions via Microsoft Teams with YouTube recordings), QDU On Demand (bespoke on-site school workshops), self-paced modules on a TalentLMS portal, and a separate TalentLMS-based Adjudicator Training Portal with differentiated group codes for high school students and graduates. Physical debates are hosted at partner school venues across the state. The technology stack is tournament-administration software plus commodity LMS tooling, with no disclosed AI/ML, proprietary model, or data-flywheel components.
The business model is mission-driven and largely volunteer-staffed, with only one paid Program Manager (Tony Scarcella). Monetization consists of membership fees (subscription/recurring), public workshop entry fees described as a small charge, A$20 per-student tickets for Brisbane Primary Competition Student Workshops, and a casual A$30 per-debate-hour pay rate paid out to adjudicators. QDU On Demand offers one subsidized 2-hour session per year to schools new to QDU competitions and to Queensland government schools, signaling deliberate access expansion into the state-school segment. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the organization has no external parent, holding entity, or institutional investors.
Queensland Debating Union firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Queensland Debating Union
- Legal name
- Queensland Debating Union Inc.
- Website
- https://qdu.org.au
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Queensland Debating Union Inc. is a nonprofit, registered charity and Queensland's peak body for school debating, running annual competitions and training programs for Grades 5-12 students across Brisbane, Toowoomba, and the Gold Coast.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Queensland Debating Union industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Education & Extracurricular Debating Services
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Debate Tournament & League Organizers (EDAMAOAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Speech & Debate Competition Preparation (Events, Extemp, Impromptu) (EDAMAOAF), Debate (Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, Parliamentary, Public Forum) (EDAMAGAA), After-School Public Speaking & Debate Clubs (EDAMAOAB)
Keywords
Where Queensland Debating Union is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milton
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Queensland Debating Union business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership fees: Schools and individuals can apply to become members of QDU
- Public workshop fees: Public workshops for students of all skills are advertised through social media and website, costing a small fee for entry
- Student workshop tickets: Brisbane Primary Competition Student Workshops 2025 - $20 per student for workshop entry
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | QDU On Demand subsidized sessions for eligible schools |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Brisbane Primary Competition Student Workshop |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Adjudicator pay rate |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | QDU public workshops |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Queensland Debating Union product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Queensland Debating Union Inc. (QDU) is a registered charity and the peak body for school debating in Queensland, Australia. It organizes structured annual debating competitions for students in Grades 5–12 across Brisbane, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, and surrounding regions, and delivers adjudicator and student training programs via live sessions, online modules, and bespoke school workshops. Operations are coordinated through a proprietary Competition Management System (CMS) for team registration, draws, topics, and forfeits.
Product overview
Queensland Debating Union operates as a suite of debating competition programs and training services for students in Grades 5-12 across Queensland. The portfolio centers on the CMS (Competition Management System) as the primary operational platform, complemented by four structured competition programs (Brisbane Secondary, Brisbane Year 7, Brisbane Primary, Toowoomba, and Gold Coast Primary). Training delivery occurs through three distinct mechanisms: QDU Academy (live pre-debate sessions via Microsoft Teams with YouTube recordings), QDU Online Training (self-paced modules via TalentLMS), and QDU On Demand (bespoke workshops at schools). The organization also provides a dedicated Adjudicator Training Portal for developing debate judges. As a registered charity and peak body for debating in Queensland, QDU supports thousands of students annually through volunteer leadership and paid program management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CMS (Competition Management System) Web-based operational platform used by school coordinators to register teams, view draws, access topics, request postponements, and manage forfeits for QDU debating competitions. Access requires school registration and approval.
- Brisbane Secondary Competition Annual four-round debating competition for Grades 8-12 students in Brisbane, Ipswich, Redland Bay, Logan, Moreton Bay, and surrounding areas, held in Terms 1 and 2 with knockout finals in Term 3.
- Brisbane Year 7 Competition Annual four-round debating competition specifically for Grade 7 students in Brisbane and surrounding areas, held in Terms 1 and 2.
- Brisbane Primary Competition Annual four-round debating competition for Grades 5-6 students in Brisbane, Ipswich, Redland Bay, Logan, Moreton Bay, and surrounding areas, held in Terms 3 and 4.
- Toowoomba Competition Annual four-round debating competition for Grades 7-12 students in Toowoomba and surrounding regions, held in Terms 1 and 2 with knockout finals in Term 3.
- Gold Coast Primary Competition Primary school debating competition for Grade 5-6 students in the Gold Coast region, with debates held at venues such as The Southport School.
- QDU Academy Free live training sessions held before each debate round via Microsoft Teams, presented by experienced coaches and adjudicators, with recordings uploaded to YouTube for students who cannot attend live.
- QDU On Demand Bespoke in-person workshop sessions delivered at schools on request, tailored to specific needs such as introduction to debating, short preparation skills, rebuttal, case preparation, POIs, speech writing, and coach development. New and Queensland government schools are eligible for one subsidized 2-hour session per year.
- QDU Online Training Free self-paced online training modules accessible via the TalentLMS portal, supporting students and coaches in developing debating skills.
- QDU Adjudicator Training Portal Mandatory training portal on TalentLMS for prospective adjudicators, requiring completion of required learning modules before account approval. Separate group codes are provided for high school students versus graduated participants.
- QDU Public Workshops Public debating workshops for students of all skill levels held throughout the year and advertised through the QDU website and social media pages, with a small per-entry fee.
Quantifiable outcome
- Thousands of students participate in QDU competitions across Queensland annually
Companies that use Queensland Debating Union
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Queensland Debating Union technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Queensland Debating Union partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Australian Debating FederationcoreQDU is an affiliate of the Australian Debating Federation. Through this affiliation, QDU selects the Queensland Schools State Team to compete in the annual National Schools Debating Championship.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Queensland Debating Union competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Victorian Debating Union: Victorian state debating organization running school competitions and adjudicator training. Operates the same non-profit peak-body model as QDU and selects the Victoria State Team for the national championship, making it a direct comparable peer.
- Debating WA: Western Australian debating organization running school debating competitions and training. Same peak-body / competition / training model as QDU, anchoring a different Australian state market.
- NSW Debating Union: The state peak body for school debating in New South Wales, running grade-based competitions and training for schools across NSW. It is the most direct structural parallel to QDU and serves the same peak-body / charity / school-competition model in a different state.
- Schools' Debating Victoria: Victoria-focused school debating competition organizer with comparable competition structure, training programs, and adjudicator pools. Closely overlaps with VDU in mission and is a direct peer in the school debate competition ecosystem.
- Debating SA: South Australian debating body running school competitions and adjudicator training. Operates the same state-level peak-body model for a smaller state market and is directly comparable to QDU's regional operations.
Emerging players
- Debate Mate: UK-based social enterprise running school debating clubs and training programs. Operates in a different geography but pursues a directly comparable mission of school-based debate training and outreach, making it a useful emerging-player benchmark for QDU.
- Art of Debate: Online debate training platform offering courses and resources for high school debaters. Represents the commercial private-training adjacent to QDU's training portfolio and is a useful emerging-player peer for QDU On Demand.
Broad incumbents
- Australian Debating Federation: The national peak body for debating in Australia, of which QDU is a state affiliate. It runs the National Schools Debating Championship and national-level programs, sitting one tier above QDU in the Australian debating governance stack.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Queensland Debating Union social profiles
Digital presenceQueensland Debating Union compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Queensland Debating Union financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Queensland Debating Union leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Queensland Debating Union funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Queensland Debating Union M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Queensland Debating Union
What does Queensland Debating Union do?
Queensland Debating Union Inc. (QDU) is a registered charity and the peak body for school debating in Queensland, Australia. It organizes structured annual debating competitions for students in Grades 5–12 across Brisbane, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, and surrounding regions, and delivers adjudicator and student training programs via live sessions, online modules, and bespoke school workshops. Operations are coordinated through a proprietary Competition Management System (CMS) for team registration, draws, topics, and forfeits.
Is Queensland Debating Union a public or private company?
Queensland Debating Union is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Queensland Debating Union founded?
Queensland Debating Union was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Queensland Debating Union based?
Queensland Debating Union is headquartered in Milton, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Queensland Debating Union make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership fees are the primary driver. The others are public workshop fees and student workshop tickets.
Who are Queensland Debating Union's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Victorian Debating Union, Debating WA, NSW Debating Union, Schools' Debating Victoria and Debating SA. Emerging players are Debate Mate and Art of Debate. Australian Debating Federation is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Queensland Debating Union have an API?
No public API is recorded for Queensland Debating Union.
What industry is Queensland Debating Union in?
Queensland Debating Union's product category is Youth Education & Extracurricular Debating Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAOAE, Debate Tournament & League Organizers, with a secondary code of EDAMAOAF, Speech & Debate Competition Preparation (Events, Extemp, Impromptu). Its NAICS code is 611691.