Seed Foundation Australia

What Seed Foundation Australia does

Seed Foundation Australia is an Indigenous-led, not-for-profit organization founded in 2015 by Michael Gleadow, headquartered in Aitkenvale (Townsville), Queensland, with a secondary office in Mooloolaba (Sunshine Coast). It operates across North Queensland, Far North Queensland, South East Queensland and the Northern Territory, providing wraparound support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary students (Years 11-12) and alumni pursuing careers in health and community services. Its core offering, the First Peoples Health Program (FPHP), combines nationally recognised vocational qualifications (Certificate II/III in Health Services Assistance, delivered via partner RTO Connect 'n' Grow) with individualised mentoring, career guidance, school-based traineeships, university pathway facilitation (CQU, JCU, Mater Education), and post-school employment support through its Seed Employment / CnG Employment social enterprise division. Across 100+ partner schools and 50+ remote communities, FPHP has supported 559 students with an 80.5% completion rate and 579 employment/education opportunities facilitated, with the 2023-launched Deadly Start Education2Employment program (Queensland HHS, 9 regions, 143 students) marking its scale-up into a state-wide government co-developed model.

The business model is a hybrid of philanthropic donations (anchor funder: Tim Fairfax Family Foundation), government grants (Deadly Start with Queensland HHS), and social enterprise revenue from traineeship facilitation and employment placement (CnG Employment). Services are delivered free to students — there are no paid consumer tiers or commercial pricing — and growth is funded through grant cycles and philanthropic relationships rather than venture or equity capital. Go-to-market is community-led and channel-partner driven: Engagement Managers and Pathways Support Officers are physically embedded in partner schools; recruitment flows through school relationships, leadership programs, alumni word-of-mouth, careers expos, and partnerships with Hospital and Health Services rather than paid advertising or digital funnels. The underlying technology stack is light: Socialsuite cloud software powers the Seed Outcome Framework, a longitudinal impact-measurement system tracking Self-determination, Empowerment, Engagement and Development outcomes across Short (Year 11), Medium (Year 12) and Long (Year 13+) stages, with 700+ cumulative graduates captured to date. Governance is provided by a board chaired by Adam Jennings (Maxima Indigenous Employment Programs) including the founder, legal, accounting, and sector advisors, with executive leadership headed by Executive Officer Brett Fragiacomo (18+ years community services).

Name

Seed Foundation Australia

Legal name

Seed Foundation Australia

Website

https://seedfoundationaustralia.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Seed Foundation Australia is an Indigenous-led not-for-profit providing wraparound support — mentoring, school-based traineeships, and vocational qualifications — to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary students pursuing health and community-services careers across 100+ partner schools in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Education and Employment Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

Keywords

• Indigenous education pathways
• Vocational health training
• Community employment programs
• School-based traineeships
• Workforce development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Aitkenvale (Townsville)

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic & Donor Funding: Seed Foundation Australia operates as a not-for-profit and is funded through philanthropic donations from individuals and foundations. Key funding partners include the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, which funds Engagement and Pathways Managers to provide individualised student support.
2. Government Grants & Program Funding: Funding received to deliver the First Peoples Health Program, Deadly Start Education2Employment program, and related employment and training pathway initiatives across Queensland schools and health services.
3. Social Enterprise Revenue (Seed Employment): Seed Employment (a related entity, CnG Employment) places school-based and adult trainees with host employers, generating revenue through traineeship facilitation and employment placement services.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Seed Foundation Australia delivers wraparound support services that guide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from secondary school through nationally recognised health and community services qualifications (Certificate II/III) into traineeships, employment, and tertiary study. Services include individualised youth mentoring, career guidance, school-based and adult traineeship facilitation, alumni employment support, and university pathway coordination, all delivered at no cost to students across Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Product overview

Seed Foundation Australia operates as a not-for-profit organisation offering a unified portfolio of wraparound support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students pursuing careers in health and social services. The core offering is the First Peoples Health Program, which provides a structured pathway from secondary school through to employment, combining nationally recognised vocational qualifications (delivered via partner Connect 'n' Grow) with individualised mentoring, career guidance, and placement support. Key program components include the Deadly Start Education2Employment initiative (school-based traineeships in partnership with Queensland Health), Adult Traineeships for post-school learners, and the dedicated Seed Employment division for job placement. An Impact Measurement System tracks outcomes across defined frameworks. Together, these products create an end-to-end ecosystem supporting students from initial engagement through to meaningful employment in their home communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• First Peoples Health Program Flagship program providing end-to-end wraparound support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students pursuing careers in health. The program offers nationally recognised health training qualifications, individualised mentoring, career guidance, and pathways from school through to employment in the health and social services sector.
• Deadly Start Education2Employment Partnership program with Queensland Hospital and Health Service providing Year 11 and Year 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with school-based traineeships and full support to pursue careers in health. Students study Certificate II in Health Services Assistance one day per week for 6 months, then transition into Certificate III School Based traineeships for an additional 12 months.
• School-Based Traineeships Traineeship programs for students still in secondary school, combining paid work experience with nationally recognised health and community services qualifications including Certificate II and III in Health Services Assistance. Delivered through host employer partnerships with hospitals and health services while students complete Year 11 and Year 12.
• Adult Traineeships Post-school traineeship programs supporting individuals in completing nationally recognised qualifications while gaining employment experience in health, hospitality, and community services sectors. Open to adult learners across Queensland including remote communities such as Palm Island.
• Seed Employment Employment services division (operated as the related entity CnG Employment) that supports Seed students and alumni with job placement, career pathway planning, and ongoing employment support in the health and social services industries. Places school-based and adult trainees with host employers and generates revenue through traineeship facilitation.
• Impact Measurement System Outcome measurement framework implemented with Development Impact and Socialsuite to track and evidence the value and impact of Seed programs. Measures outcomes across Self-determination, Empowerment, Engagement and Development through Short (Year 11), Medium (Year 12) and Long (Year 13+) term stages, with student survey data compiled into Socialsuite dashboards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 559 FPHP students (450 completions @ 80.5%) in 2025
• +5 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

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• Queensland Hospital and Health Service (Deadly Start Education2Employment)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Seed Foundation Australia and Queensland HHS co-developed the Deadly Start Education2Employment program — a flagship pathway program for 143 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across 9 Hospital and Health Services (Gold Coast to Mt Isa and Cairns). Students study Cert II in Year 11, then transition to School-Based Traineeship Cert III in Year 12, with ongoing employment and further education as the goal.
• Gunyah of Wellness / Coolum State High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Seed Foundation Australia partnered Gunyah of Wellness (Nambour medical centre) with Coolum State High School to connect Year 12 health students with real-world medical setting work experience. Students underwent a simulated recruitment and induction process, gaining exposure to a holistic health clinic environment.
• Connect 'n' GrowcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Connect 'n' Grow is the founding partner and Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that has delivered nationally recognised health and community services training to Indigenous students since 2012. Seed Foundation Australia was established in 2015 to build on and expand the momentum created by Connect 'n' Grow's training programs. The two organisations remain deeply integrated, sharing staff, programs, and pathways (including CnG Employment for trainee placement).
• Mater Private Hospital TownsvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNine Seed students commenced school-based traineeships with Mater Private Hospital Townsville in 2021, working towards Certificate III in Health Services Assistance. Mater provides real-world hospital setting experience and potential ongoing employment for graduates.
• James Cook University (JCU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJCU hosts campus visits for Seed students (e.g., Bwgcolman Community School visit to JCU Townsville campus) and connects students with the Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathways (IYMP) program house for accommodation and support during transition to further study.
• Central Queensland University (CQU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeed partnered with CQU Townsville to provide Year 11-12 students information days and campus tours of the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Sciences, encouraging consideration of university pathways in health after completing Seed qualifications.
• Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathways (IYMP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIYMP provides accommodation and support for Indigenous students relocating from remote communities to pursue further education. Seed connects graduates (e.g., Martha Marks from Palm Island) with IYMP to facilitate their transition to tertiary study in Cairns and other regional centres.
• Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTownsville ATSIHS provides work experience, traineeship, and employment opportunities for Seed students. Seed graduate Karla Adidi transitioned from Cert III qualifications with CNG @ Bamford Medical Centre to full-time Medical Receptionist roles at this organisation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience): Large-scale Indigenous student mentoring program providing in-school and online mentoring, role-modelling, and university-to-employment pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across Australia. Directly comparable in Indigenous education-to-employment pathway support.
• Skill Hire Australia: Western Australian-based employment and training services organisation with dedicated Indigenous employment programs across regional Australia. Comparable wraparound employment support model, regional focus, and traineeship/apprenticeship pathway offerings.
• Busy At Work: Queensland-based employment services provider operating Indigenous employment programs (I-LEA), traineeships, and youth transition services. Comparable regional Queensland footprint, Indigenous cohort focus, and traineeship/apprenticeship delivery model.
• Stars Foundation: National Indigenous-focused education foundation delivering intensive wraparound support, mentoring, and after-school programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women. Highly comparable in philosophy, target cohort, and outcomes focus on Indigenous education-to-employment transitions.
• Yalari: National not-for-profit providing scholarships and wraparound educational support for Indigenous children from regional, rural, and remote communities to attend leading Australian boarding schools. Comparable mission, regional student cohort focus, and pathway-to-further-education outcomes model.
• MTC Australia: National employment services provider including specialist Indigenous employment programs, school-based programs, and transition support. Comparable model for cohort-based employment pathway delivery to disadvantaged job seekers across Australia.
• Maxima Group: Australia's largest Indigenous employment services provider, operating national programs across apprenticeships, traineeships, and Indigenous employment. Directly comparable to Seed's employment pathways work, and Seed's own board chair Adam Jennings is Maxima's Operations Manager for Indigenous Employment Programs, evidencing direct overlap.
• Connect 'n' Grow: The founding Registered Training Organisation partner that delivers all nationally recognised health and community services qualifications for Seed. Deeply integrated with Seed via shared founder Michael Gleadow and shared staff, programs, and pathways including CnG Employment.
• Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathways (IYMP): National program supporting Indigenous students to relocate from remote communities to pursue further education and training. Operates as a connected post-school pathway in Seed's ecosystem (e.g., enabling Bwgcolman / Palm Island graduates to study in Cairns).

Broad incumbents

• Mission Australia: Large national NFP delivering housing, employment, mental health, and youth services including Indigenous-focused employment programs. Broader portfolio than Seed but overlapping mission in youth employment support and community services delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/seedfoundationaustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seed-foundation-australia
• Instagraminstagram.com/seedfndnaustr

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Seed Foundation Australia