What AWI does

Established in 2001, AWI is a not-for-profit company owned by over 29,000 wool levy payers who have registered as AWI shareholders. The company invests along the global supply chain for Australian wool – from woolgrowers through to retailers.

AWI’s mission is to invest in research, development, marketing and promotion in order to:

• enhance the profitability, international competitiveness and sustainability of the Australian wool industry; and
• increase demand and market access for Australian wool.

AWI’s vision is for it to be a significant contributor to a vibrant, stable and profitable wool industry providing the world with the best natural fibre.

AWI’s goal is to help increase the demand for wool through investments in marketing, innovations and R&D – from farm to fashion.

How AWI is funded

AWI investments are funded through a wool levy paid by woolgrowers (currently two per cent of the sale price received for their shorn greasy wool) and a matching contribution from the Australian Government for eligible R&D activities, capped at 0.5 per cent of the value of gross national value of wool production.

The sale of Woolmark licences contributes a further source of income for AWI, directly funding AWI’s global business development network.

Woolgrowers vote every three years on the percentage of wool proceeds they would like to invest in wool innovation, marketing, sales, off-farm R&D and on-farm R&D. In the most recent vote – WoolPoll 2009 – 73.13 per cent of votes cast were in favour of a levy of two per cent or more. The next vote is in 2012.

An agreement exists between AWI and the Australian Government, called the Statutory Funding Agreement, which defines the conditions under which AWI may invest levy and Government-matched funds. A new three year Statutory Funding Agreement came into effect on 1 July 2010.

How AWI has evolved

On 1 January 2001, Australian Wool Services (AWS) replaced the Australian Wool Research and Promotion Organisation (AWRAP), which had been operating since 1993. AWS was established with two subsidiaries: AWI and The Woolmark Company Pty Ltd.

On 30 April 2002 AWI separated from AWS to become a fully independent public company limited by shares.

In October 2007, AWI acquired The Woolmark Company Pty Ltd from AWS. Most notably, AWI became the owner of the Woolmark – the world’s best known textile fibre brand.