What Youthsafe does

Youthsafe is an Australian nonprofit charity founded in 1982 (originally as the 'Awareness and Prevention Program' and later registered as Spinesafe before rebranding to Youthsafe in 1999) that delivers evidence-based training programs focused on preventing unintentional injury among young people aged 0-25 across four domains: roads, work, sports, and socialising. Headquartered in Ryde, NSW, the organisation operates with approximately 7 employees and reaches audiences through face-to-face workshops, classroom sessions, online modules, and downloadable resources, targeting parents, teachers, supervisors, and community organisations rather than young people directly. Its program portfolio includes the Driver Licensing Access Program (DLAP) administered on behalf of Transport for NSW across 12 Local Government Areas, Safer Drivers Course (SDC) facilitator and coach training delivered since 2013, Classroom Safety Sessions for primary and high schools, Supervisors and Young Workers Workshops, Coaching Teens for Youth Sports Safety, and Volunteer Learner Driver Mentor (LDMP) Training.

The organisation's underlying technology is a curated, co-designed curriculum library developed over 40+ years in partnership with NSW Health, Transport for NSW, NSW Department of Education and Training, the Australian Retailers Association, the Apprentice Employment Network of NSW and ACT, SafeWork NSW, and others. Notable components include award-winning programs (SafeClub, In Working Order, Talking Safety, YPack, Plan 2) and an LDMP toolkit, all grounded in a strengths-based, evidence-based approach that rejects fear-based messaging. Youthsafe also holds Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status granted in the 2020 Federal Budget, among only eight Australian charities to receive this designation.

Youthsafe's business model is a hybrid nonprofit model: primary revenue comes from NSW Health recurrent annual grants (sustained over nearly the entire organisational life) and Transport for NSW program funding (DLAP, SDC training), supplemented by tax-deductible donations enabled by DGR status, corporate sponsorships (Transurban and others), and modest fee-for-service training delivered to businesses and supervisors. Pricing for training is not publicly disclosed; organisations are directed to contact Youthsafe to book sessions. The organisation uses an event-driven, community-led go-to-market model, relying heavily on referrals from schools, community organisations, sports clubs, and government partners, with a website that functions as both a content hub and a donation/session-booking conversion tool. Cumulative reach is reported at approximately 1.5 million children through early awareness programs, though current scale metrics are not disclosed.

Name

Youthsafe

Legal name

Youthsafe

Website

https://youthsafe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Youthsafe is an Australian nonprofit founded in 1982 that delivers evidence-based training programs to prevent unintentional injury among young people aged 0-25 across roads, work, sports, and socialising, serving parents, teachers, supervisors, community organisations, and government agencies (NSW Health, Transport for NSW) across New South Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ryde

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Primary funding from NSW Health (recurrent annual funding over almost the entire life of the organisation) and formerly Roads and Traffic Authority (2001-2014). Transport for NSW funds the DLAP state-wide program.
2. Donations: Youthsafe is a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) charity, enabling tax-deductible donations from individuals and organisations.
3. Fee-for-Service Training: Training programs for businesses, supervisors, and organisations delivered as workshops and sessions, with organisations able to book sessions for their workforce.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Business and community supporters provide financial and in-kind support, including Kando Central, Ironbrij, JS Web Design, Uniting Circle, Solar National, GFM Automation, and others.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Youthsafe designs and delivers evidence-based training programs and educational resources focused on preventing unintentional injury among young people aged 0–25 across four domains: roads, workplaces, sports, and socialising. Core offerings include the Driver Licensing Access Program (DLAP) administered for Transport for NSW, Teen Safe Driving Workshops, Safer Drivers Course facilitator training, Classroom Safety Sessions, Coaching Teens for Sports Safety workshops, and Supervisors and Young Workers Workshops, delivered face-to-face and online to schools, employers, community organisations, and parents across NSW.

Product overview

Youthsafe offers a portfolio of evidence-based training programs and educational resources focused on youth injury prevention across four key areas: roads, work, sports, and socialising. The core offerings include the Driver Licensing Access Program (DLAP), Teen Safe Driving Workshops, Safer Drivers Course training, Classroom Safety Sessions, Coaching Teens for Sports Safety, and Workplace Safety Training. These programs are delivered face-to-face and online, targeting young people, parents, teachers, employers, and community organisations. The organisation also developed award-winning legacy programs including SafeClub (sports safety), In Working Order (school-to-work transitions), Talking Safety (retail worker supervision), YPack (apprentice safety), and Plan 2 (social safety planning). The portfolio represents a unified approach to youth safety through education, capacity-building, and community partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SafeClub: Sports safety training program designed for community sports clubs to create safer sporting environments
• In Working Order
• Talking Safety
• YPack
• Plan 2
• Learner Driver Mentor Program (LDMP)
• Driver Licensing Access Program (DLAP)
• Safer Drivers Course

Products and services

• Driver Licensing Access Program (DLAP) State-wide program helping eligible young people (over 16 years) acquire a Learner licence, delivered across 12 NSW Local Government Areas and administered by Youthsafe on behalf of Transport for NSW; targets disadvantaged youth cohorts including CALD, low socioeconomic, regional, and isolated communities.
• Safer Drivers Course Training State-level training program for facilitators and coaches who deliver safe driving education to young learner drivers, offered by Youthsafe as a Transport for NSW recognised SDC trainer since 2013.
• Teen Safe Driving Workshops Face-to-face and online workshops designed for parents to help them support their teenagers in becoming safer drivers.
• Classroom Safety Sessions Risk and safety classroom sessions for primary and high school students, aligned with school curriculum, fostering knowledge and skills to identify and manage commonly occurring risks.
• Coaching Teens for Youth Sports Safety and Wellbeing Interactive workshop for coaches of any sport, conducted online or face-to-face, to help improve safety engagement with teenage players for retention, wellbeing, and enhanced safety.
• Supervisors and Young Workers Workshops Training workshops for supervisors and businesses to support behavioural change for improved workplace safety culture and HSE outcomes.
• Workplace Safety Training Comprehensive safety training that focuses on building worker agency, real-world behaviour change, and addressing road and vehicle-related work risks.
• Volunteer Learner Driver Mentor (LDMP) Training Full-day training session and toolkit for volunteer learner driver mentors to support disadvantaged young people in obtaining their driver's licence across NSW.
• Socialising Safety Program Training and resources for senior students or youth groups on ways young people can proactively plan and manage their widening social lives while keeping safe.
• Ls to Ps: Teaching Aussie Teens to Drive eBook Award-winning electronic resource (eBook) for parents providing guidance on teaching Australian teenagers to drive, from learner to provisional licence.
• SafeClub Award-winning sports safety training program designed for community sports clubs to create safer sporting environments, developed in partnership with Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service.
• In Working Order Award-winning interactive session to promote safer school-to-work transitions, developed in partnership with the Australian Retailers Association.
• Talking Safety Award-winning online resource for supervisors of young workers in retail, developed in partnership with the Australian Retailers Association.
• YPack Award-winning hard copy and online resource for Group Training Organisations (GTOs) to better understand and manage the risk profile of young apprentices and trainees, developed in partnership with the Apprentice Employment Network of NSW and ACT.
• Plan 2 Award-winning series of interactive classroom sessions to encourage young people to plan their participation in social settings, developed in partnership with schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 1.5 million children reached through early awareness programs across Sydney schools
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped the award-winning SafeClub sports safety training program in partnership, designed for community sports clubs to create safer sporting environments.
• Australian Retailers Association (ARA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped 'In Working Order' (interactive session for safer school-to-work transitions) and 'Talking Safety' (online resource for supervisors of young workers in retail) in partnership with ARA.
• Apprentice Employment Network of NSW and ACTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped YPack hard copy and online resource for Group Training Organisations to better understand and manage risk profile of young apprentices and trainees.
• Social Impact HubminorOthersLogo displayed as a partner/supporter on the Youthsafe website.
• PCYC (Police Citizens Youth Club)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLogo displayed as a partner on the Youthsafe website; PCYC NSW is a community organisation working with youth.
• NSW Department of Education and TrainingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeacher resources developed in consultation with NSW Department of Education and Training, with funding support from the Motor Accidents Authority of NSW, NSW Health, and NRMA.
• Australian College of Road Safety NSW ChapterminorOthersYouthsafe has contributed to public policy and safety reform through participation in key decision-making bodies including the Australian College of Road Safety NSW Chapter.
• Kidsafe NSW CouncilminorOthersYouthsafe participates in the Kidsafe NSW Council as part of its contribution to public policy and safety reform.
• NSW Road Safety Advisory CouncilminorOthersYouthsafe is an ongoing member of the NSW Road Safety Advisory Council and has provided formal advice to federal and state inquiries, including submissions and in-person presentation to the Parliament of NSW Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety's inquiry into rural and regional learner drivers.
• SafeWork NSWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouthsafe contributed to the development of the Young Worker eToolkit in partnership with SafeWork NSW.
• U-Turn The Wheel (Sutherland Shire)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a business and community supporter; a community-based road safety initiative.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kidsafe NSW: NSW child injury prevention charity delivering community education and resources; Youthsafe sits on the Kidsafe NSW Council, and the two operate in the same child/youth injury prevention niche with overlapping school and community delivery channels.
• Royal Life Saving Society Australia: National nonprofit delivering evidence-based water safety and drowning prevention education to children and young people; comparable as a specialised, charitable youth safety training provider with school-based delivery.
• PCYC NSW (Police Citizens Youth Clubs NSW): Community youth organisation running driver training, sports and youth engagement programs across NSW; Youthsafe lists PCYC as a partner, and both serve disadvantaged youth cohorts via similar NSW community distribution.
• Australian Road Safety Foundation: National road safety charity focused on driver education and behaviour change campaigns; directly comparable to Youthsafe's road safety pillar (DLAP, Safer Drivers Course, teen driving workshops) and target audience of young drivers.
• Road Safety Education (RSE): Specialist provider of the NSW Safer Drivers Course and related facilitator training; a direct head-to-head peer on Youthsafe's Safer Drivers Course trainer business since 2013.

Others

• Sport Australia (Australian Sports Commission): Federal agency funding community sport participation and safety programs including for young people; an adjacent ecosystem player whose grant programs align with Youthsafe's Coaching Teens for Sports Safety offering.
• SafeWork NSW: NSW workplace safety regulator with whom Youthsafe co-developed the Young Worker eToolkit; not a competitor, but the relevant policy and funding counterpart for Youthsafe's supervisor and young worker training programs.
• Transport for NSW Centre for Road Safety: Government policy and program body that funds and governs the DLAP and Safer Drivers Course; the primary funding counterparty and policy counterpart rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• NRMA: Large motoring club with broad driver education, advocacy and roadside services across Australia; overlaps with Youthsafe on teen driver safety resources but operates as a much larger, multi-product incumbent.

Emerging players

• Good2Drive: NSW-based learner driver education provider focused on young drivers and disadvantaged cohorts; competes for the same Transport for NSW-aligned learner driver market that Youthsafe's DLAP serves.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/youthsafe_org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youthsafe

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 Youthsafe