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An RTO is a Registered Training Organisation.

Only RTOs can issue Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) qualifications and statements of attainment in the vocational education and training (VET) sector.

RTOs are providers and assessors of nationally recognised training.

Training organisations wishing to become RTOs must be registered with ASQA if they operate within ASQA’s jurisdiction.

Organisations that are within ASQA's jurisdiction and not registered under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 cannot hold themselves out to be an RTO and cannot 'advertise', 'offer to provide', 'provide all or part of a VET course' or 'issue a VET qualification'.

To register as a Registered Training Organisation you need to first work out how and where you would like to offer your courses. This will determine which authority will be the regulatory body for your RTO.

ASQA
ASQA is the regulatory body for registered training organisations (RTOs) in:

• the Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• the Northern Territory
• South Australia
• Queensland, and
• Tasmania.

ASQA is also the regulatory body for those registered training organisations in Victoria and Western Australia that:

Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) providers are providers of nationally recognised training to overseas students who have Australian student visas. Only CRICOS providers can enrol overseas students or issue Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) qualifications and statements of attainment to these students.

To become registered to deliver to overseas students, an organisation needs to have:

• been approved as a registered training organisation (RTO), or
• been approved as a higher education provider, or
• met the National ELICOS Standards, or
• met the Foundation Program Standards.

In addition, to become registered to deliver to overseas students, an organisation needs to have the qualifications/courses it wishes to deliver to overseas students on its scope of registration.

Providers can lodge an application for CRICOS approval at the same time as an application for RTO registration.

ASQA-registered training organisations must meet the requirements for registration, including the requirements in the VET Quality Framework.

There is three things you will need to apply to become an RTO:

1. Training organisations that apply for initial registration with ASQA must comply with the VET Quality Framework as is defined in the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011. The VET Quality Framework includes the Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations and conditions of registration.
2. Applicants must have a thorough working knowledge of the national VET system, including the national skills framework, which includes Training Packages, the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and the VET Quality Framework. Without this understanding, applicants will have difficulty demonstrating that they are ready to operate as an RTO and to deliver quality training and assessment.  
3. Applicants must be able to show they have established the foundations of a sustainable business.

Applicants must not advertise, offer to provide, deliver or assess VET courses until they are registered and listed on training.gov.au.

The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) takes a risk assessment approach to assessing all registration applications.

While ASQA does not provide timeframes for site audits, the usual wait period is approximately 6 months.

Using the following structured process, ASQA assesses applications for initial registration to ensure that they meet all  requirements for registration before approval is granted. The application must meet the requirements at each stage before it can be progressed.

1. Applicants must submit to an independent assessment of their organisation’s financial viability risk by an ASQA-approved external agency.  The agency provides a report and recommendation to ASQA regarding the organisation’s likelihood of sustained operation as a training provider.
2. ASQA reviews the suitability of the nominated senior and/or influential personnel to confirm that each meets the Fit and Proper Person Requirements.  ASQA may investigate the organisation’s business status through the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
3. To ensure the organisation is ready to commence delivery of its desired qualifications and/or competencies, ASQA conducts a compliance assessment of the supporting materials provided with the application. The audit confirms that the organisation meets its obligations and has the relevant systems—as outlined in the Essential Standards for Initial Registration within the Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations—in place.
4. ASQA conducts a site audit at one or more of the organisation’s venues. The auditor (or audit team, which may include industry specialists) assesses the organisation’s ability to deliver each qualification or unit of competency sought in its application (in terms of its strategies, resources and materials).  

The audit reviews the:

ASQA will notify applicants in writing of its decision to grant or reject an application for registration as a registered training organisation (RTO) within 30 days of making that decision.

If ASQA grants the application, the applicant will be issued with:

• a Certificate of Registration
• a scope of registration document
• details of the period for which the organisation is registered
• details of any conditions which apply to the registration, and
• details of the registration fee payable.

If ASQA rejects an application for registration, it will state the reasons for its decision.

Under Sections 199 to 203 of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011, an applicant can apply for review of the decision to reject an application for registration as an RTO reconsidered. Applicants can also apply to have a decision concerning the period or conditions of registration reconsidered.

The VET Quality Framework is a set of standards and conditions that ASQA uses to assess whether an RTO meets the requirements for registration.

The VET Quality Framework comprises:

• the Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations 2012 
• the Australian Qualifications Framework 
• the Fit and Proper Person Requirements 
• the Financial Viability Risk Assessment Requirements 
• the Data Provision Requirements.