RTO Registration
RTO Registration Made Easy
Setting up a new registered training organisation does not need to be a stressful and complicated experience. With over 10 years of experience in the vocational industry, your expert team at RTO Advantage can assist and guide you throughout the entire registration project – from your pre-planning stage all the way through to your audit stage, to ensure you are in the best possible position to attain ASQA’s approval.
It is important that you first take the time to consider the following factors:
- Why do you want to set up an RTO?
- Have you conducted enough research to ensure that an RTO is the right business for you?
- Have you prepared a detailed business plan and have a solid business concept?
- What courses or qualifications will you be offering?
- Will you be developing your training and assessment materials from scratch or will you be purchasing an off-the-shelf product and customise it to the industry and your target market’s needs and expectations?
- What type of training will you be delivering – face-to-face, online, blended or workplace training?
- What are your staffing requirements – do they already have the required qualifications such as the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and the relevant vocational qualification and meet the relevant vocational experience requirements?
- What is my target market – am I wanting to deliver training to the local market or the international market?
- What will be your marketing approaches to the recruitment of students?
- What policies and procedures will be put in place for the smooth and efficient running of your RTO?
- What plans do you have to support your future students and staff members?
- What fees do you intend on charging?
- Do you have sufficient funds – this figure will vary based on the types of qualifications you are delivering, the size of your operations, the facilities, equipment and manpower you will need, along with your basic establishment and application costs?
- Do all owners and executive officers meet ASQA’s Fit and Proper Person requirements – have they ever been convicted of an offence (both in and outside of Australia), have they ever been disqualified from managing corporations, have they ever been bankrupt or insolvent, have they ever been issued with an Immigration Minister’s suspension certificate, have they ever been associated with an organisation which has breached an Australian Government or state or territory government training contract, or have they ever provided false or misleading information or statements to a state, territory or Australian Government agency or department?
What does your RTO registration package include?
We offer two different packages to suit your budget and needs.
| RTO | RTO + CRICOS | |
| Expert advice and guidance (including phone and e-mail support) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Project management of RTO registration | ✔ | ✔ |
| Project management of CRICOS registration | ✔ | |
| Course and training and assessment strategy planning | ✔ | ✔ |
| Training on the software and systems provided, as well as on RTO reporting obligations | ✔ | ✔ |
| Training on the Australian Qualifications Framework, the Standards of RTOs 2015, and the National Code 2018 (if applicable) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Audit preparation and coaching, including a mock audit session (not including any travel costs) | ✔ | ✔ |
| RTO Policies and Procedures manualView included items | ✔ | ✔ |
| CRICOS Policies and Procedures manualView included items | ✔ | |
| RTO management and operations forms and templatesView included items | ✔ | ✔ |
| CRICOS management and operations forms and templatesView included items | ✔ | |
| Website with complete automated enrolment system | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fully set-up AVETMISS compliant Cloud Student Management system (including set-up and 1-year subscription on the ‘Premium Package’)View included items | ✔ | ✔ |
| $11,900 + GSTPurchaseEnquire | $14,900 + GSTPurchaseEnquire | |
| 50% on initial confirmation and balance at approval |
What do I need to register a new RTO?
When lodging your application to register as a new RTO, you are required to meet certain requirements:
- Familiarise yourself with the requirements of the national VET system
- Demonstrate your business’ financial viability
- Complete a self-assessment evidencing:
- Your readiness to deliver training and assessment
- Your ability to manage the recruitment, enrolment and support of students that meets the Standards of RTOs 2015
- All owners and certain executive officers of the organisation must meet ASQA’s Fit and Proper Person requirements
What are the costs for a new RTO Registration?
The fees for a new RTO setup can vary depending on the business structure, size of the operations, the site and equipment needs, learning content and assessment provider fees, and even the choice of qualifications you intend to deliver.
As a guide, below are estimates as to what you should budget for in your first year (estimate is based on information available as at 01 Jan 2020 and calculated based on an enrolment of 50 face-to-face students):
| Item | Approximate Cost (not including GST) |
| Company establishment fees | $1,500 |
| Accounting fees (including software) | $4,500 |
| ASQA application fee | $8,500 |
| RTO compliance consultant fees | $10,000 – $30,000 |
| Student Management Software | $1,200 – $7,000 per year |
| Learning and assessment resources | $3,000 – $25,000 per course |
| Equipment required | $1,000 – $10,000 |
| Staff and recruitment expenses | $60,000 – $120,000 (based on 2 PT employees) |
| Training premises | $40,000 – $120,000 (location dependent) |
| Website development | $2,500 – $5,000 |
Please note, should you choose to undertake your application for RTO registration with us, you will not have to factor in the RTO compliance consultant fees, Student Management Software and website development costs as they are already included in our package – this means you could potentially be saving up to $30,100!
What is the turnaround time of a new RTO setup?
The pre-planning stage can take anywhere between three to six months. Once you lodge your application with ASQA for initial registration, they aim to finalise the assessment of your initial application within six months. Please note, due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, this estimate may be extended.
Below is an overview of ASQA’s assessment stages:
- You submit your application
- ASQA will check that your application is complete
- A review is conducted into your Fit and Proper Person declaration(s) and financial viability risk assessment tool
- An assessment fee invoice is issued if everything is in order
- A desk and validation audit is conducted to ensure that you meet all of the requirements for registration
- A decision will be made by ASQA to approve or reject the application
Does RTO registration expire?
Yes. After you have successfully attained the approval to operate as a registered training organisation, you are initially granted with a 2-year registration period. At least 90-days before the end of your registration period, you are to apply for re-registration if you want to renew your RTO registration. If you are successful, you may be provided with a registration period of up to 7-years. The granting of a 7-year period is not guaranteed as ASQA will exercise its discretion when determining an RTO’s registration period. This does not apply to CRICOS registrations which is granted only for a period of 5-years.