South Australian Debating Association
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersAdelaide, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
South Australian Debating Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- South Australian Debating Association
- Legal name
- South Australian Debating Association
- Website
- https://sada.org.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
South Australian Debating Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Debate Services
- akta.pro industry
- Debate Tournament & League OrganizersSpeech & Debate Competition Preparation (Events, Extemp, Impromptu)After-School Public Speaking & Debate ClubsPrivate Debate Academies & Speech Coaching CentersDebate Curriculum, Lesson Plans & Instructional Materials Publishers
Keywords
Where South Australian Debating Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Adelaide
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices6 records
Markets served
South Australian Debating Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Schools' Competition Registration Fees: Schools register teams for the annual debating competition by completing registration forms. Registration fees are collected from participating schools to cover competition administration costs.
- Adjudicator Hire Services: SADA provides trained adjudicators to facilitate debates for external organizations. The standard rate is $45 per adjudicator per debate, though fees may be subject to change or waiver based on event nature.
- Adjudicator Honorariums: Adjudicators are paid an honorarium of $100 per night for their participation in SADA's school competition debates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adjudicator hire rate for external events |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adjudicator honorarium for SADA competitions |
| Freemium | Other | Education evenings - free for students and coaches |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
South Australian Debating Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The South Australian Debating Association runs competitive debating competitions and associated education programs for schools and adults across South Australia. It manages a schools' competition and an adults' competition, trains and selects a state team, accredits adjudicators, and provides adjudicator hire services, education workshops, and debating resources. These offerings are delivered under a standardized rule set and adjudicator framework managed by the association.
Product overview
The South Australian Debating Association (SADA) operates as a non-profit debating organization rather than a technology product company. Its portfolio comprises primarily service offerings: the Schools' Competition (its flagship program with six divisions spanning Junior B through Senior A for students in Years 5-12), the Adults Competition (affiliated with Adelaide University Debating Society), and the State Team Program for national championships. Supporting these core programs are Education Evenings and Workshops (free training sessions for students and coaches), the Adjudicator Hire Service (providing trained adjudicators for debates), the Adjudicator Accreditation Program (certifying new adjudicators), and comprehensive Debating Resources including topic guides and instructional videos on their YouTube channel. The organization does not offer a software product but rather organizes debating competitions and provides education services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Schools' Competition Structured competitive debating competition for school teams across South Australia, run under SADA's standardized rules and judged by accredited adjudicators.
- Adults Competition Competitive debating league for adult debaters in South Australia, run as a separate stream to the schools' competition under SADA's standardized rules.
- State Team Program Training and selection program for state representatives in debating, managed via a State Squad Coordinator and a committee Vice President (State Team).
- Adjudicator Hire Service Service that supplies trained and accredited adjudicators to schools and events for debates, coordinated by SADA's Adjudications Coordinator.
- Adjudicator Accreditation Program Training and certification pathway that accredits adjudicators to SADA's standard, allowing them to judge competitions and be hired through the adjudicator hire service.
- Education Evenings Education sessions delivered by SADA to schools and debaters, covering debating skills, formats, and rules.
- Education Workshops Workshop-format education program offered by SADA to schools and debaters to develop skills in debating and public speaking.
- Debating Resources and Topic Resource Guides Published debating resources and topic resource guides made available by SADA to support schools and debaters preparing for competitions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2026 Piping Shrikes finished third at National Schools' Debating Championship, breaking 4th in the tournament
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use South Australian Debating Association
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
South Australian Debating Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
South Australian Debating Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Australian Debating FederationcoreSADA is affiliated with the Australian Debating Federation, which organizes the National Schools' Debating Championships. South Australia was the inaugural national champion in 1971. SADA participates annually in the national competition and selects team members for the Australian Debating Team.
- Adelaide University Debating Society (AUDS)coreSADA is affiliated with South Australia's longest-running adults competition run by AUDS. This partnership extends SADA's reach to adult debaters and university students through the Adelaide Debating Tournament and Adelaide British Parliamentary Championship. AUDS also sends teams interstate for intervarsity tournaments.
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)minorICRC presented an Education Evening on International Humanitarian Law for Senior A & B Grade debaters as preparation for Round 4 debates. ICRC also prepared the topic resource guide for Intermediate A Round 4 on Children's Rights.
- St Peter's CollegecoreSt Peter's College serves as the primary venue for Education Evenings, Senior A debates, and Intermediate A debates. The school also provides training facilities for the State Team and hosts the Supreme Court venue for the annual State Team send-off debate.
- Behind the NewsminorBehind the News created a media story about how debating works, featuring the Piping Shrikes in their debate against Western Australia at NSDC, helping to promote debating and SADA's programs.
- Partner Schools (Schools' Competition Venues)coreFive schools serve as venue hosts for SADA's Schools' Competition: Glenunga International High School, Prince Alfred College, St Ignatius' College, St Peter's College, and Seymour College. These schools provide facilities for weekly debates and support the competition's operation.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
South Australian Debating Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- English-Speaking Union: International educational charity promoting debating, public speaking, and cross-cultural exchange. Comparable as an enabling organization supporting school debating competitions and adjudicator training, though its footprint is broader and not state-based.
- International Debate Education Association: Global organization providing debate curricula, teacher training, and competitions. Comparable as a debate-education ecosystem participant; complements SADA's mission at a global scale rather than competing directly.
Broad incumbents
- National Speech & Debate Association: Large US-based non-profit that runs national speech and debate tournaments with school memberships, points systems, and adjudicator accreditation. A scaled, broader analog of SADA operating across an entire national school ecosystem.
- Australian Debating Federation: The national peak body for school debating in Australia, of which SADA is a state affiliate. Comparable in mission (organizing national championships and standards) but operates at the federal level rather than the state-organizing level.
Direct peers
- NSW Debating Union: Equivalent state-level debating association in New South Wales. Operates a schools competition with multiple divisions, state team selection for the NSDC, and adjudicator training — closely mirroring SADA's structure and service mix.
- Victorian Debating Union: State debating association in Victoria that organizes schools competitions and adjudicators for state-level and national events. Operates with a near-identical mission and service portfolio to SADA.
- Adelaide University Debating Society: University-affiliated debating society already partnered with SADA for the Adults Competition. Comparable in running debating competitions and tournaments (Adelaide Debating Tournament, Adelaide British Parliamentary Championship) but focused on adult/university participants.
- Queensland Debating Union: Queensland's peak state debating body. Runs the state schools competition, selects the Queensland State Team for NSDC, and trains adjudicators — directly comparable to SADA's model in another Australian state.
- Western Australian Debating League: Western Australia's state debating association. Comparable as a regional organizer of school competitions, state team selection, and adjudicator services — competing against SADA's teams at the NSDC.
Regional players
- Tasmanian Debating Union: Smaller state debating association with an analogous schools competition and adjudicator model, but operating in Tasmania rather than SA — useful as a regional comparable for scale of operations.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
South Australian Debating Association social profiles
Digital presenceSouth Australian Debating Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
South Australian Debating Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
South Australian Debating Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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South Australian Debating Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about South Australian Debating Association
What does South Australian Debating Association do?
The South Australian Debating Association runs competitive debating competitions and associated education programs for schools and adults across South Australia. It manages a schools' competition and an adults' competition, trains and selects a state team, accredits adjudicators, and provides adjudicator hire services, education workshops, and debating resources. These offerings are delivered under a standardized rule set and adjudicator framework managed by the association.
Is South Australian Debating Association a public or private company?
South Australian Debating Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was South Australian Debating Association founded?
South Australian Debating Association was founded in 1966. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is South Australian Debating Association based?
South Australian Debating Association is headquartered in Adelaide, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does South Australian Debating Association make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Schools' Competition Registration Fees are the primary driver. The others are adjudicator Hire Services and adjudicator Honorariums.
Who are South Australian Debating Association's main competitors?
Others on record are English-Speaking Union and International Debate Education Association. Broad incumbents are National Speech & Debate Association and Australian Debating Federation. Direct peers are NSW Debating Union, Victorian Debating Union, Adelaide University Debating Society, Queensland Debating Union and Western Australian Debating League. Tasmanian Debating Union is listed as a regional player.
Does South Australian Debating Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for South Australian Debating Association.
What industry is South Australian Debating Association in?
South Australian Debating Association's product category is Educational Debate 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).