Centre of Perinatal Excellence

What Centre of Perinatal Excellence does

Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) is an Australian non-profit charitable organization founded in 2013 that operates as the country's peak body for perinatal mental health. The organization delivers an integrated digital platform of evidence-based resources for new and expectant parents, healthcare professionals, and employers, including the iCOPE 2.0 digital screening system, validated self-check instruments (DASS-21, City BiTS, PUQE), the National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline, the COPE Directory of accredited professionals, the Ready to COPE weekly email guide, the Mama Tribe Facebook community spanning 40+ Australian locations, and The Mum Drum multimedia series. COPE has screened 300,000+ parents for mental health risks, trained 8,000+ health professionals, and reached 100,000+ subscribers and 60,000+ community members.

COPE operates from Melbourne at Level 2, 696 Bourke Street, with a small team of 1–10 employees and is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). The business model is donation-and-grant-led, with consumer-facing screening tools, fact sheets, the directory, and the newsletter provided free of charge. Earned revenue streams consist of fees from accredited online training for health professionals and corporate contracts under the Perinatal Wellbeing Workplace Program (PWWP), alongside corporate and workplace giving partnerships. Go-to-market combines content marketing, healthcare professional referral networks (via alliances with RACGP, APS, ACM, RANZCOG, RANZCP, ACMHN, MCAFHN, and PADA), and community-led engagement through Mama Tribe and the broader email subscriber base.

The founder and Executive Director is Dr Nicole Highet. COPE's strategic positioning rests on its designation as Australia's peak body in perinatal mental health, its authorship of the National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline, and its role as a referral intermediary between consumers and a network of accredited clinicians. From June 2026, COPE will fully integrate and deliver the Mama Tribe community, materially expanding its direct community infrastructure.

Name

Centre of Perinatal Excellence

Legal name

Centre of Perinatal Excellence

Website

https://cope.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) is Australia's peak non-profit body for perinatal mental health, providing evidence-based screening tools (iCOPE 2.0, DASS-21), a national clinical guideline, a professional directory, and community programs serving new and expectant parents, health professionals, and employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Perinatal Mental Health Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal Mental Health Telehealth (perinatal anxiety/depression, support programs) (HLALAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Maternal–Fetal & Neonatal Care Pathways (HLACAGAI)

Keywords

• Perinatal mental health
• Mental health screening
• Clinical practice guidelines
• Health professional training
• Health professional directory

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: COPE relies on public donations and fundraising activities to fund perinatal mental health screening, research, education, and support programs.
2. Corporate and Workplace Giving: Corporate partnerships and workplace giving programs allowing organizations to support COPE's mission and receive workplace perinatal mental health support.
3. Online Training Courses: Accredited online training for health professionals to improve perinatal mental health knowledge and skills.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

COPE provides evidence-based digital perinatal mental health screening tools (iCOPE 2.0, DASS-21, City BiTS), a national directory of accredited perinatal mental health professionals, accredited online training for clinicians, the National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline, a free weekly consumer guide (Ready to COPE), downloadable fact sheets, the Mama Tribe peer-support community, and workplace perinatal wellbeing programs. The organization serves new and expectant parents, health professionals, and Australian employers.

Product overview

Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) is Australia's peak body in perinatal mental health, offering a comprehensive suite of digital health products and services. The core offerings include the iCOPE Digital Screening platform for clinical assessment, the COPE Directory for service referral, Ready to COPE consumer education guide, and DASS-21 Self-Checks for mental health screening. COPE also provides the National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline, accredited online training for health professionals, Mama Tribe Community peer support network, The Mum Drum multimedia series, Health Professional Information Hubs, and downloadable fact sheets. These products work together to provide screening, education, support, and pathways to care for expectant and new parents experiencing perinatal mental health challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ready to COPE: Free weekly guide providing supportive updates during pregnancy and the first 12 months after birth
• iCOPE Digital Screening
• National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline
• COPE Directory
• Mama Tribe Community
• The Mum Drum

Products and services

• iCOPE Digital Screening

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000+ parents screened for mental health risks
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Red Nose (Grief and Loss)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRed Nose provides grief and loss support services for families who have experienced stillbirth or infant loss. COPE refers users to Red Nose's 24-hour bereavement support line and counselling services.
• Pink ElephantssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport organization for parents experiencing baby loss. COPE connects families with Pink Elephants support services.
• Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for GPs. COPE collaborates on health professional resources and training for general practitioners in perinatal mental health care.
• Australian Psychological Society (APS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for psychologists. COPE works with APS on professional development and resources for psychologists supporting perinatal patients.
• Australian College of Midwives (ACM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for midwives. COPE collaborates with ACM on training and resources for midwives in perinatal mental health.
• RANZCOG (Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for obstetricians and gynecologists. COPE works with RANZCOG on clinical guidelines and professional resources.
• The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for psychiatrists. COPE collaborates on mental health guidelines and professional training.
• Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PADA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational peak body for perinatal anxiety and depression. COPE works with PADA on awareness, resources, and support services.
• Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for mental health nurses. COPE collaborates on training and resources for mental health nurses in perinatal care.
• Maternal Child and Family Health Nurses Australia (MCAFHN)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for maternal child health nurses. COPE works with MCAFHN on resources and training for nurses supporting new parents.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lifeline Australia: Australia-wide crisis support and mental health nonprofit; adjacent to COPE in crisis intervention pathways referenced from COPE Directory and in national mental health awareness reach.
• Beyond Blue: Australia's largest mental health nonprofit, providing broader anxiety and depression support including perinatal content; overlaps COPE on mental health awareness, screening, and consumer education at greater scale but with less perinatal specialization.

Direct peers

• PANDAS Foundation UK: UK charity supporting families affected by pre and postnatal mental illness; offers peer support networks, awareness, and health professional resources analogous to COPE's Mama Tribe community and education model.
• Postpartum Support International (PSI): International nonprofit focused on perinatal mental health awareness, provider training, and support — the closest global analogue to COPE's combination of consumer support, professional training, and clinical resources.
• Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PADA): Australia's national peak body for perinatal anxiety and depression; directly overlaps COPE in mission, audience (expectant and new parents), and Australian geography, and is itself listed as a COPE strategic partner.
• Gidget Foundation Australia: Australian nonprofit dedicated to perinatal mental health, providing screening, telehealth psychology services, and awareness programs for expectant and new parents — directly comparable to COPE's clinical screening and support mission.

Others

• Maternal Mental Health Alliance (international): International coalition of organizations focused on perinatal mental health policy and advocacy; adjacent to COPE as an ecosystem player driving the category COPE operates in.

Emerging players

• This Way Up: St Vincent's-affiliated Australian digital mental health platform offering clinician-referred online therapy and screening; comparable to COPE on clinical screening and digital pathways to care for anxiety and depression.
• Smiling Mind: Australian digital mental health platform offering mindfulness and wellbeing programs; comparable to COPE as a digital-first, evidence-based consumer mental health product with workplace and education channels.

Regional players

• Centre for Perinatal Psychology: Australia-based clinical organization specializing in perinatal mental health training for health professionals; comparable to COPE's online training and clinical guideline offerings within the same Australian market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/COPEorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/COPEorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-of-perinatal-excellence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Centre of Perinatal Excellence