Australia's proposed common standard for pipeline diversity reporting
The Equity Clear Standard is a proposed shared framework for improving visibility across the startup funding pipeline.
Designed through national ecosystem engagement, the Standard is intended to support more consistent approaches to measuring how opportunities move through the investment process, while working within existing systems and workflows.
Why a Common Standard?
Australia increasingly measures funding outcomes, but organisations often collect and define pipeline data differently.
Without a shared approach, it remains difficult to understand how opportunities move through the investment process, compare insights across organisations, or build a consistent evidence base over time.
The Equity Clear Standard is intended to support stronger visibility, consistency and evidence across Australia's startup investment ecosystem.
Visibility
Better understanding of how opportunities move through the funding pipeline.
Consistency
A common approach to measuring key pipeline data points.
Comparability
More meaningful insights across participating organisations.
Evidence
Stronger evidence to inform decision-making and future action.
Three Core Components
Voluntary Code
A visible commitment mechanism for organisations supporting more consistent pipeline diversity reporting.
Common Data Model
A standardised approach to measuring key data points across the funding journey.
Reporting Framework
Aggregated reporting and confidential benchmarking for participating organisations.
Measuring the same things, in the same way
The Common Data Model establishes a shared approach to measuring how opportunities move through the funding pipeline.
The initial phase focuses on a core dataset designed to support comparability while minimising unnecessary reporting burden.
Design Principles
Practical
Designed to work with existing workflows
Proportionate
Focused on a minimum viable core dataset to avoid unnecessary reporting burden
Extensible
Designed to work with existing workflows
Voluntary
Participation is voluntary and industry-led
Evidence Based
Grounded in research, consultation and practical insights from across the ecosystem
Anonymised
Public reporting is aggregated and anonymised
Privacy & Reporting Principles
Trust is part of the infrastructure.
The Equity Clear Standard depends on confidence in how data is handled, how outputs are used and how the framework evolves over time.
What happens next?
The Equity Clear Standard is currently being refined through pilot implementation and broader ecosystem engagement.
The next phase focuses on testing the practicality, credibility and value of the Standard across real operating environments.
Explore The Pilot
Participate in the founding pilot cohort and learn how the Standard can work within existing systems and workflows.
Register Interest
Stay connected to future reporting opportunities, implementation updates and future phases of the work.