Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League

What Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League does

The Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) is the national peer-led peak organisation representing a network of nine state and territory Drug User Organisations (DUOs) across Australia, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Alexandria, NSW. The organisation advocates on behalf of more than four million people who use or have used drugs illicitly in Australia, focusing on harm reduction, peer-led service delivery, drug policy reform, and the health and human rights of people who use drugs. AIVL's portfolio spans direct service delivery (CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service in Canberra and the Victorian Pill Testing Service in Melbourne), digital tools (the National NSP Directory, online courses platform, "The Know" drug alerts aggregator, "Night Coach" mobile app, and the Experience Matters podcast), policy advocacy at national and international levels, and peer workforce development through its National Peer Workforce Framework and campaigns such as "It's Your Right" (hepatitis C in custodial settings) and "Support Don't Punish."

The organisation is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ABN: 20 467 449 392) and operates as a federated peak body whose "members" are the state/territory DUOs rather than subsidiaries in a corporate sense. AIVL's funding is derived from government grants, donations accepted via Stripe in preset amounts of $10 to $500, and program-specific funding from partners such as The Global Fund, with all core services delivered free of charge to community members. AIVL also runs international harm reduction work, including a joint rapid assessment with WHO, UNDP, the Kirby Institute, and Fiji National University to strengthen Fiji's HIV response. The technology stack is light and centred on public-facing web tools (WordPress-based multilingual site in 15+ languages, online course platform, searchable NSP directory, drug alerts aggregator) rather than proprietary technology products; the most distinctive operational capability is the drug checking service, which has tested over 6,000 samples since July 2022 and contributed to the first global detection of N-pyrrolidino isotonitazene (NPI), informing international drug scheduling discussions.

Name

Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League

Legal name

Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League

Website

https://aivl.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AIVL is Australia's national peer-led peak organisation representing nine state and territory Drug User Organisations, delivering harm reduction services—including drug checking, the national NSP directory, peer education, and policy advocacy—for more than four million people who use drugs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: AIVL accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals through secure payment gateway Stripe. Donations are one-off payments at preset amounts ranging from $10 to $500, supporting the organization's work in harm reduction, overdose prevention, and advocacy for people who use drugs.
2. Membership and Program Services: As a peak national organization representing Drug User Organisations, AIVL receives funding to coordinate and support the national network of peer-based harm reduction programs. Services include drug checking, needle and syringe programs, online courses, and peer education—all provided free to community members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AIVL is a national peer-led peak organisation that delivers harm reduction services, advocacy, and education on behalf of people who use drugs in Australia. It coordinates a national network of nine state/territory Drug User Organisations and runs flagship programs including drug checking (CanTEST and Victorian Pill Testing Service), needle and syringe program directories, free online courses, peer workforce development, drug alerts, and national and international policy advocacy.

Product overview

AIVL operates as a peer-led national peak organization offering a portfolio of harm reduction services, educational resources, and advocacy programs. Core services include the CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service (Australia's first fixed-site drug checking service) and the Victorian Pill Testing Service. The organization provides an online NSP Directory, free educational courses (Hepatitis C Pathways, A Place Of Their Own, A Normal Day), the Experience Matters Podcast, The Know drug alerts platform, and the Hi-Ground steroid harm reduction resource. The portfolio also includes campaign programs like Support Don't Punish and the National Peer Workforce Framework. CanTEST developed the Night Coach app as an alternative to social media for reaching users with harm reduction information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CanTEST: CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service - Australia's first fixed-site drug checking service in Canberra (not a subsidiary but a partner organization)
• Night Coach

Products and services

• CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service Australia's first fixed-site drug checking service operating in Canberra, providing free, confidential drug testing with health and harm reduction interventions to people who use drugs. Operates 6 hours per week (Thursdays 3-6pm, Fridays 6-9pm) with extended hours during festivals, and contributes critical early warning data to local, national and international responses to emerging drug risks including novel synthetic opioids.
• Victorian Pill Testing Service Free, legal and confidential pill testing service in Melbourne delivered by a consortium including AIVL member Harm Reduction Victoria, Youth Support and Advocacy Service, and The Loop Australia, with analytical support from Metabolomics Australia at the University of Melbourne. Operates as an implementation trial until June 2026, with walk-in access Thursday 12-4pm, Friday 3-7pm, and Saturday 1-7pm.
• National NSP Directory Online searchable directory of Needle and Syringe Programs (NSPs) across Australia, searchable by suburb or postcode to help people who use drugs find local harm reduction services and access clean injecting equipment.
• Online Courses Platform Free self-service online learning platform offering courses including Hepatitis C Pathways, A Place Of Their Own (ageing people who use drugs), and A Normal Day (communication between people who use drugs and medical professionals). Available to community members with self-service registration.
• The Know Drug Alerts Platform National drug alerts platform aggregating warnings about dangerous and unexpected substances in circulation across Australia, providing critical real-time safety information to communities of people who use drugs, healthcare workers, and emergency services.
• Experience Matters Podcast Peer-led podcast series featuring voices of people who use drugs, sharing experiences and harm reduction information, available on AIVL's website and Spotify. Episodes cover topics including peer workforce development and harm reduction in practice.
• Night Coach Mobile App Mobile application developed by CanTEST as an alternative channel to social media for reaching people who use drugs with drug safety information and harm reduction alerts, following platform censorship of drug safety content on mainstream social networks such as Meta.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 drug samples tested by CanTEST (July 2022 to December 2025)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• CanTEST Health and Drug Checking ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 July 2022CanTEST is Australia's first fixed-site drug checking service located in Canberra. AIVL's member organisations and the broader harm reduction community benefit from this service which has tested over 6,000 samples since 2022. The service detected the first global instance of N-pyrrolidino isotonitazene (NPI), leading to international scheduling discussions.
• Victorian Pill Testing Service ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivered by consortium including Harm Reduction Victoria (AIVL member), Youth Support and Advocacy Service, The Loop Australia, with support from Melbourne Health, Metabolomics Australia (University of Melbourne), and Youth Projects. Operates as a free, walk-in service at 95 Brunswick St, Fitzroy.
• World Health Organization (WHO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIVL participated in a joint rapid assessment commissioned by WHO and UNDP, funded by The Global Fund, and conducted with the Kirby Institute and Fiji National University to strengthen Fiji's HIV response through evidence-based harm reduction.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint rapid assessment with AIVL, WHO, and Kirby Institute commissioned by UNDP to identify urgent gaps in harm reduction services in Fiji.
• Kirby Institute (UNSW)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in the joint rapid assessment with AIVL, WHO, UNDP, and Fiji National University to assess harm reduction needs in Fiji.
• Fiji National UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in the joint rapid assessment with AIVL, WHO, UNDP, and Kirby Institute for Fiji's HIV response.
• International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIVL and its staff are connected with INPUD for international harm reduction advocacy and peer-led initiatives. Emily Ebdon worked at INPUD before joining AIVL.
• World Hepatitis AlliancecoreOthersAIVL is a voting member of the World Hepatitis Alliance, participating in global efforts to eliminate hepatitis.
• Scarlet AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIVL collaborated with Scarlet Alliance (Australian Sex Workers Association) and member organisations to provide supplementary evidence to the Inquiry into the Health Impacts of Alcohol and Other Drugs, focusing on gendered drug policy.
• Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy (CAHMA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorACT's peer-based drug user and drug treatment consumer organisation. AIVL member organisation delivering peer education, health promotion, naloxone training, and case management.
• NUAA (NSW Users and AIDS Association)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNSW peer-based, peer-run, peer-managed drug consumer organisation providing training, practical support, harm reduction services, and innovative peer-based harm reduction services.
• Harm Reduction VictoriacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVictoria's peer-based organisation founded in 1987 as part of the community response to HIV. Delivers peer education, community development, health promotion, and advocacy for people who use drugs.
• Peer Based Harm Reduction WAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWA organisation providing stigma-free peer support, education, and harm reduction services to reduce transmission of blood-borne viruses and prevent overdose.
• QuIVAA (Queensland IV Agency)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQueensland peer-based organisation encouraging and supporting people who use drugs to be active in policy responses and development.

Scale indicators9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Harm Reduction Victoria: AIVL's Victorian member organisation and a co-deliverer of the Victorian Pill Testing Service; operates the same peer-led harm reduction, NSP and education services at a state level.
• The Loop Australia: Australian drug checking and harm reduction organisation that co-delivers the Victorian Pill Testing Service with AIVL members; operates the same model of pill testing, drug alerts and peer education.
• International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD): Global peer-led network of people who use drugs; AIVL explicitly partners with INPUD and shares the same community-led governance model, lived-experience leadership, and international advocacy focus.
• Harm Reduction International: Global harm reduction advocacy and policy NGO operating in the same peer-led, human-rights-based approach to drug policy as AIVL, with comparable international governance influence and similarly small staff footprint.
• CAHMA (Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy): ACT peer-based drug user organisation and AIVL member; co-delivers CanTEST and provides the same peer-led NSP, naloxone and case management services as AIVL member organisations.
• Scarlet Alliance: Australian sex worker peer organisation collaborating with AIVL on the Inquiry into the Health Impacts of Alcohol and Other Drugs; mirrors AIVL's peer-led, human-rights and policy advocacy model for a different but adjacent marginalised community.
• Drug Policy Alliance: US-based drug policy reform and harm reduction organisation with comparable advocacy, education, and public-health missions; differs geographically but operates the same peer-informed harm reduction paradigm.
• Release: UK-based drug policy and harm reduction NGO providing expertise, training and advocacy for people who use drugs; directly comparable to AIVL in scope, mission and service mix.
• NUAA (NSW Users and AIDS Association): NSW peer-based drug user organisation and AIVL member; delivers NSPs, peer education and harm reduction services using an identical community-led model.

Regional players

• ACON (formerly AIDS Council of NSW): Australian LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS health organisation where AIVL's CEO previously worked; comparable community-led health promotion, peer workforce development and policy advocacy footprint, but focused on a different population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@aivlofficial4094
• Xx.com/aivl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aivl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League