South Australian Network of Drug & Alcohol Services (SANDAS)

What South Australian Network of Drug & Alcohol Services (SANDAS) does

SANDAS is South Australia's legislated peak body for non-government alcohol and other drug (AOD) services, established in 2004 and incorporated as a not-for-profit association (ABN 88 963 018 438). The organisation operates from headquarters at 204 Wright Street, Adelaide, with a lean operational team of four staff (CEO, Senior Policy & Project Officer, Quality and Communications Project Officer, Finance and Administration Officer) supported by a volunteer Board of Directors. SANDAS represents over 30 member organisations spanning AOD treatment providers, youth services, Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations, homelessness services, and family support providers across metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia.

SANDAS delivers a portfolio of interconnected services rather than discrete products: (i) advocacy and representation on behalf of the AOD non-government sector to Commonwealth and SA government; (ii) workforce development through training workshops, an annual symposium, the SA State AOD Treatment Services Forum, and a regional training calendar; (iii) the SA AOD Community of Practice co-led with the state government's Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA); (iv) an AOD Resources Hub aggregating treatment guidelines, position papers, submissions, and UniSA student reports; (v) online learning gateways linking to Insight, NCETA, NDARC, and Cracks in the Ice; (vi) qualifications and careers guidance plus a sector jobs board; and (vii) flagship advocacy initiatives including the SA Specialist AOD Treatment Service Delivery Framework and a drug checking / pill testing campaign. No proprietary technology, software platform, or API is offered; distribution is via website, email newsletter, YouTube-hosted seminar recordings, LinkedIn/X social channels, and in-person regional workshops.

The revenue model is a not-for-profit funding mix of (a) recurrent government grants from the Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and the SA Department for Health and Wellbeing, (b) membership fees from individual and organisational members, and (c) project-based grants for initiatives such as the SA Alcohol and Drug Treatment Framework. No commercial pricing is charged for core services; member-discount rates apply to training events. The organisation holds no patents, has undergone no M&A, has no subsidiaries, and operates exclusively within South Australia.

Name

South Australian Network of Drug & Alcohol Services (SANDAS)

Legal name

South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services (SANDAS)

Website

https://sandas.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SANDAS is South Australia's legislated peak body for non-government alcohol and other drug services, representing 30+ member organisations through advocacy, workforce development training, Communities of Practice, and policy submissions, funded by government grants and membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

ADELAIDE, SA

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: SANDAS is a not-for-profit association primarily funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and the SA Department for Health and Wellbeing, on a recurrent grant basis.
2. Membership Contributions: SANDAS generates revenue through membership fees from both individual and organisational members of the AOD non-government sector in South Australia.
3. Project-Based Grants: SANDAS receives project-specific funding from a range of organisations for initiatives such as the South Australian Alcohol and Drug Treatment Framework and other sector development projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SANDAS is South Australia's peak body for non-government alcohol and other drug (AOD) services. It delivers sector representation and advocacy, training and events, an AOD Resources Hub, an online learning gateway, the SA AOD Community of Practice in partnership with DASSA, the SA Specialist AOD Treatment Service Delivery Framework, qualifications and study pathway guidance, a Jobs Board, and drug checking advocacy for the state's AOD non-government sector.

Product overview

SANDAS is South Australia's peak body for non-government alcohol and other drug (AOD) services, operating as a membership-based nonprofit organization rather than a software product company. The organization provides a unified portfolio of services including: membership and advocacy representation for AOD organizations; training and events programs (workshops, seminars, annual symposiums); an AOD Resources Hub with guidelines, position papers, and reports; the SA AOD Community of Practice partnership with DASSA; online learning gateway; the SA Specialist AOD Treatment Service Delivery Framework; qualifications and careers guidance; and a jobs board. These services function as interconnected programs supporting the AOD sector through workforce development, knowledge sharing, and policy advocacy rather than as a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SANDAS Membership Services
• Training and Events
• AOD Resources Hub
• SA AOD Community of Practice
• Online Learning Platform Access
• SA Specialist AOD Treatment Service Delivery Framework
• Qualifications and Study Pathways
• Jobs Board
• Drug Checking Advocacy

Quantifiable outcome

• SANDAS, along with 50+ community service organisations, signed a SACOSS-led Sector Statement calling on major parties to commit to increased sector funding.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers36 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSANDAS and DASSA co-lead the SA Alcohol and Other Drugs Community of Practice, a network for sector professionals to share knowledge, learn from each other's experience, and stay up to date with evidence-based practice, emerging issues, and local innovations in the AOD sector.
• DASSA (Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe South Australian Alcohol and Drug Treatment Framework project was instigated by SANDAS and funded by DASSA, engaging a broad project reference group including Centacare, CASSA, Uniting Communities, Aboriginal Sobry Group, Nunkuwarrin Yunti, Life Without Barriers, OARS Community Transitions, DASSA, NCETA, and Primary Health Networks.
• Reconciliation AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSANDAS developed its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in partnership with Reconciliation Australia, working with its Board, staff, member representatives to commit to actions on cultural awareness, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policies, and procurement from Indigenous businesses.
• The Centre for Impact and ChangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Centre for Impact and Change approached SANDAS to explore delivering an online grant writing masterclass ('The Art of Asking: Grant Writing') for emerging AOD sector leaders. SANDAS is facilitating interest and involvement from its network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies (NADA): NSW peak body for non-government alcohol and other drug services. Closest direct peer to SANDAS - same membership-based peak body model, same advocacy/workforce development mandate, serving a different state jurisdiction.
• Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL): National peak body for people who use drugs, providing advocacy on harm reduction and drug policy. Comparable advocacy/peak-body function to SANDAS but with a peer/lived-experience constituency rather than a service-provider constituency.
• Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA): Victorian peak body for the non-government alcohol and other drug sector. Functionally identical to SANDAS - state-level peak body representing AOD NGOs, providing advocacy, training, and sector coordination.
• Western Australian Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies (WANADA): WA peak body for non-government AOD services. Same peak-body structure as SANDAS, representing member organisations, advocating with state government, and coordinating workforce development in Western Australia.
• Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT (ATODA): ACT peak body for the AOD sector. Directly comparable to SANDAS as a jurisdiction-specific membership organisation providing advocacy, training, and sector representation for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug services.

Emerging players

• SMART Recovery Australia: Provider of peer-supported addiction recovery programs in Australia. Listed as a SANDAS member; overlaps on AOD service delivery but operates as a program provider rather than a peak body.
• Family Drug Support: National not-for-profit supporting families affected by alcohol and drug use. Listed as a SANDAS member; comparable AOD advocacy scope but with a narrower family-carer focus rather than a state-wide peak-body mandate.

Others

• Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA): State government AOD treatment agency that co-leads the SA AOD Community of Practice with SANDAS and funds the SA Alcohol and Drug Treatment Framework. Not a peer in the membership sense but a critical strategic partner.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Alcohol and Other Drugs Council (AAODC): National peak body for the AOD sector in Australia. Represents the collective state and territory peak bodies (including SANDAS) at the federal level; broader scope than SANDAS but overlapping mandate.
• Alcohol and Drug Foundation: National not-for-profit focused on preventing alcohol and drug harm. Overlaps with SANDAS's prevention and community-education remit but operates nationally and is not a state peak body; SANDAS is a member of ADF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AODpeak
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sandas1993
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-australian-network-of-drug-&-alcohol-services-sandas-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

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 South Australian Network of Drug & Alcohol Services (SANDAS)