In Australia’s education sector, Registered Training Organisations—or RTOs—play a vital role in skilling the workforce of the future. One government-funded RTO in Melbourne delivers nationally accredited courses to between 40,000 and 60,000 students every year—across two campuses.
Challenge
In 2017, a campus that had been closed for several years was given the green light to re-open. But there was a problem. The infrastructure was well past its useful life—and critical systems like HVAC had to be replaced before students returned. A full HVAC upgrade was urgently needed. The catch? It came with a $3.8 million price tag—and it wasn’t covered by the RTO’s existing capital works program.
In order to meet the timeline for the first semester intake, the upgrade had to happen within six months—and furthermore, without any upfront capital investment.
Solution
The RTO appointed A.G. Coombs to deliver the HVAC solution and then they turned to Northquest Capital to make the project financially viable.
Northquest implemented a 10-year fully maintained managed service model—giving the RTO a fully warranted, Tier 1 infrastructure solution with predictable operational costs, no asset risk, and zero capital outlay.
Outcome
The result? Quantifiable savings in energy and maintenance. A long-term solution that lowers total cost of ownership and delivers early-stage economic benefit.
The new system also reduced carbon emissions—supporting the RTO’s sustainability policy while hedging against future energy price rises.
Thanks to fast implementation by A.G. Coombs and a flexible funding model from Northquest Capital, the RTO re-opened on time—with modern infrastructure, fully functioning HVAC, and a clear path to long-term value.
