MCB Business Partners
MCB Business Partners is an Australian EdTech and services company that connects industry, government, and secondary schools to build talent pipelines in emerging sectors, offering an outreach management platform and branded partnership programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersHunter, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What MCB Business Partners does
MCB Business Partners Pty Ltd is an Australian education technology and services company founded in 2017 by Duncan Burck and headquartered in Newcastle, NSW. The company operates at the intersection of education, industry, and government, building talent pipelines that connect secondary schools with employers in sectors facing skills shortages, including Net Zero, maritime, and technology. It serves a client base spanning federal, state, and local government (NSW Department of Education, Commonwealth Government, Port Authority NSW, City of Newcastle, Central Coast Council) alongside industry clients (Port of Newcastle, Svitzer Australia, Core Electronics, FastLab).
The company's core technology stack comprises three proprietary platforms: projectJanus, an outreach management system; the Value Framework, an impact measurement tool; and the Partnership Readiness Index, which uses an AI-supported methodology to transform publicly available school data into partnership readiness insights. These platforms support branded programs including Net Z(ed) (a Commonwealth-backed Net Zero workforce transition pipeline), the Sustainnovation Challenge (launched 2021), EducationNetworks (a multi-sided coordination hub launched 2024), and the Future Makers Collaborative STEM Journey (launching February 2026).
Revenue is generated through a mix of platform licensing and subscription fees, professional services, and program sponsorship, with custom enterprise pricing structured around multi-year contracts. The company is founder-owned and bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding. Its go-to-market relies on direct enterprise and government relationships and a Network Hubs model that localizes program branding across Hunter, Central Coast, and Central-West Orana regions of NSW.
MCB Business Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MCB Business Partners
- Legal name
- MCB Business Partners Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://mcbbp.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MCB Business Partners is an Australian EdTech and services company that connects industry, government, and secondary schools to build talent pipelines in emerging sectors, offering an outreach management platform and branded partnership programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MCB Business Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Development Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Internship-to-Apprenticeship & Early Talent Pipeline Programs (EDAMAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB), Curriculum Design & Scope/Sequence (School-Led) (EDAJAFAA), Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK), Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH)
Keywords
Where MCB Business Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hunter
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
MCB Business Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Education Partnership Services: Design and delivery of in-curriculum career education programmes linking schools, businesses, and government. Includes program development, classroom activation, and stakeholder relationship management.
- Technology Platform Licensing: Access to proprietary platforms including projectJanus, Value Framework, Partnership Readiness Index, and EducationNetworks. Organisations pay for platform access and data analytics capabilities.
- Independent Assessment Services: Independent evaluation services helping companies and government agencies de-risk education investments and maximise long-term and short-term value from ESG, CSR, and workforce development strategies.
- Program Sponsorship: Industry and government sponsors fund specific programs like Net Z(ed), Sustainnovation Challenge, and STEM Enrichment in exchange for brand visibility, talent pipeline access, and measurable social impact.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise pricing based on engagement scope |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
MCB Business Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MCB Business Partners designs and delivers education-industry partnership programs that connect schools, industry, and government to build future talent pipelines. The company operates a proprietary EdTech Management Stack (projectJanus, Value Framework, Partnership Readiness Index, EducationNetworks) for managing, measuring, and scaling education outreach. Its flagship branded programs include Net Z(ed) for Net Zero workforce awareness and the Sustainnovation Challenge for civic innovation.
Product overview
MCB Business Partners offers an integrated EdTech platform combining proprietary technology products with education partnership programs. The core technology stack includes projectJanus (education outreach management and credentialing), the Value Framework (impact measurement), and the Partnership Readiness Index (AI-powered school partnership assessment). These platforms are complemented by branded programs including EducationNetworks (coordination hub), Net Z(ed) (Net Zero education initiative), and the Sustainnovation Challenge (civic innovation program). The company also developed the Exclusive platform for ESG and workforce strategy measurement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EducationNetworks: A central hub for industry and government sponsors to coordinate, promote, deploy, measure, and manage teacher resources and education outreach programmes. Consolidates complex compliance requirements of education systems.
- Net Z(ed)
- Sustainnovation Challenge
Products and services
- projectJanus Intelligent education outreach management platform enabling industry and government to collaborate with education, manage digital credentials, and conduct comprehensive data collection, analysis, reporting, and talent pipeline activation.
- Value Framework Data-driven methodology for measuring the real impact of education programs supported by industry and government, transforming complex social and economic outcomes into actionable insights using Total Program Value Score and Program Efficiency Score.
- Partnership Readiness Index (PRI) AI-supported tool that uses publicly available school data to measure schools' capacity to collaborate with industry and government, presenting insights through an interactive dashboard to identify opportunities and target investment.
- EducationNetworks Central hub platform for industry and government sponsors to coordinate, promote, deploy, measure, and manage teacher resources and education outreach programmes, consolidating compliance requirements including data capture, evaluation, privacy, and security.
- Exclusive (EdTech Management Stack) EdTech Management Stack helping organisations understand, measure, and maximise impact of pre-tertiary education engagement, with capabilities for compliance alignment, measurement frameworks, and visibility of long-term value for ESG and workforce planning.
- Sustainnovation Challenge Civic innovation programme amplifying young people's perspectives in public planning and decision-making through place-based challenges co-designed with councils, industry, and tertiary partners.
- Net Z(ed) Education-industry initiative raising awareness of Net Zero and preparing young people for a decarbonising economy by connecting learning to real industries, emerging career pathways, and practical examples across energy, transport, recycling, manufacturing, and infrastructure.
- STEM Enrichment Program Education program run in partnership with NSW Department of Education giving students opportunities to explore STEM career corridors and pathways through structured education experiences with industry.
- Pilot Learning Experiences Framework Integrator framework bringing educators and industry teams together to co-create teacher-ready resources including classroom lessons, digital resources, incursions, excursions, and competitions.
- Future Makers Collaborative STEM Journey Collaborative STEM program featuring design thinking, renewable energy concepts, and collaborative engineering challenges delivered across Corrimal Community of Schools with the Illawarra Academy of STEM Excellence.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 70 secondary schools participated in Sustainnovation Challenge focused on Port of Newcastle transformation
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use MCB Business Partners
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MCB Business Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature6 records
MCB Business Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- Commonwealth Government of AustraliacoreCommonwealth-backed Net Z(ed) initiative designed to raise awareness of Net Zero and prepare young people for a transitioning economy. MCB leads the initiative as a coordinated effort uniting education, industry, and research to turn vision into reality.
- NSW Department of EducationcoreFour-plus year partnership through STEM Enrichment Program to inspire students and strengthen the future STEM workforce. MCB creates education experiences giving young people opportunity to explore career corridors and pathways in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Collaboration guides engagement with education systems, teachers, and students.
- FastLabcorePartnership brings speed, agility, and creativity to research and development, ensuring benefits flow into education and industry. Focuses on translating research into practical solutions, navigating complex challenges, and embedding innovative thinking. Also supports robust impact reporting.
- Core ElectronicssecondaryKey partner in accelerating technology adoption in education. Works with leading innovators to enable development and delivery of cutting-edge tools and solutions into classrooms. Empowers teachers and students to engage with real-world technologies.
- Port of NewcastlecoreSustainnovation Challenge partner for student workforce initiatives. Supported Women on Water (WoW) program aimed at increasing female participation in maritime sector, aligning with Port's 40% women workforce target by 2031. Students present winning projects to Port CEO and team.
- Svitzer AustraliasecondaryMaritime partner in Women on Water program, contributing to bringing the student-led initiative to life through collaboration with Port of Newcastle and other partners.
- Port Authority of New South WalessecondaryPartner in Women on Water program supporting female student engagement with maritime careers and port industry pathways.
- Keolis DownersecondaryPartner in Women on Water program bringing female students to Port of Newcastle for hands-on maritime industry experiences.
- Central Coast CouncilcoreIndustry into Schools pilot project exploring how structured industry engagement with schools can improve student awareness of local career pathways, strengthen employer-educator relationships, and support Council workforce objectives.
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (Hunter Workforce Transition Team)coreFoundation Collaborator for Net Z(ed) initiative, providing support in shaping and driving the vision for net zero education collaboration.
- Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE)coreFoundation Collaborator for Net Z(ed) initiative and partner in Net Z(ed) 2.0 statewide activation. Contributes research and industry expertise to net zero education programs.
- University of NewcastlecoreFoundation Collaborator for Net Z(ed) initiative, bringing academic expertise and research capabilities to net zero education collaboration.
- Committee for the HuntersecondaryFoundation Collaborator for Net Z(ed) initiative, representing Hunter region business community interests in net zero education.
- Business NSWsecondaryFoundation Collaborator for Net Z(ed) initiative, providing industry perspective and business network connections.
- University of NewcastlecoreSupported research through its Rapid Program for chapter publication on Sustainnovation Challenge. Ongoing collaboration on research and academic validation of education-industry partnership approaches.
- Illawarra Academy of STEM ExcellencesecondaryMCB Business Partners involved as supporters and sponsors of Future Makers Collaborative STEM Journey program across Corrimal Community of Schools.
- Hunter iFsecondaryInnovation ecosystem organisation in Hunter region. MCB participates in Hunter Innovation Festival and engages with regional innovation community.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MCB Business Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Navitas: Global education services provider covering university pathways, vocational training and workforce programs; broader education services incumbent with overlapping enterprise and government channels in Australia.
- TAFE NSW: New South Wales' public vocational education and training provider with extensive school-engagement and workforce programs; broader incumbent shaping the talent-pipeline space MCB targets through partnerships.
- CSIRO (Education and STEM programs): Australia's national science agency running large-scale STEM education outreach into schools with government backing; broader incumbent with overlapping science education and workforce-development ambitions.
Others
- Australian Industry Group (Ai Group): Peak industry association representing Australian employers on workforce, skills and training policy; not a direct competitor but an adjacent stakeholder frequently partnering with education-skills programs like MCB's.
Direct peers
- Schools Plus: Australian nonprofit that connects businesses with schools (especially disadvantaged) to improve educational outcomes; comparable in mission and stakeholder model to MCB's industry-education partnership focus.
- Junior Achievement Australia: Australian arm of a global youth education non-profit running workplace, entrepreneurship and STEM programs delivered in schools with corporate partners; directly comparable in school-industry partnership delivery model.
- Beacon Foundation: Australian nonprofit operating structured school-industry programs designed to improve education-to-employment pathways; directly comparable as a school-industry intermediary serving enterprise and government partners.
- Foundation for Young Australians: Australian research and programs organisation focused on youth education-to-employment transitions; comparable mission around equipping young people for changing work, with thought-leadership and enterprise/government engagement.
- The Smith Family: Large Australian education-focused charity running school-based programs and corporate-partner-backed education initiatives targeting youth transitions; similar B2B partnership model with schools and enterprise sponsors.
Emerging players
- Cool Australia: Australian teacher-facing curriculum resources and partner-backed programs in sustainability, STEM and social impact; an emerging player in school-industry-content partnerships competing for teacher engagement and sponsor mind-share.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MCB Business Partners social profiles
Digital presenceMCB Business Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MCB Business Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
MCB Business Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MCB Business Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MCB Business Partners
What does MCB Business Partners do?
MCB Business Partners designs and delivers education-industry partnership programs that connect schools, industry, and government to build future talent pipelines. The company operates a proprietary EdTech Management Stack (projectJanus, Value Framework, Partnership Readiness Index, EducationNetworks) for managing, measuring, and scaling education outreach. Its flagship branded programs include Net Z(ed) for Net Zero workforce awareness and the Sustainnovation Challenge for civic innovation.
Is MCB Business Partners a public or private company?
MCB Business Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MCB Business Partners founded?
MCB Business Partners was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is MCB Business Partners based?
MCB Business Partners is headquartered in Hunter, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does MCB Business Partners make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Education Partnership Services are the primary driver. The others are technology Platform Licensing, independent Assessment Services and program Sponsorship.
Who are MCB Business Partners's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Navitas, TAFE NSW and CSIRO (Education and STEM programs). Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) is listed as an others. Direct peers are Schools Plus, Junior Achievement Australia, Beacon Foundation, Foundation for Young Australians and The Smith Family. Cool Australia is listed as an emerging player.
Does MCB Business Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for MCB Business Partners.
What industry is MCB Business Partners in?
MCB Business Partners's product category is Workforce Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAKAL, Internship-to-Apprenticeship & Early Talent Pipeline Programs, with a secondary code of EDAJAFAB, Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.