Paddle Australia (PA) and the six State Paddle Associations (SPAs) are excited to launch a new membership offering, the Commercial Provider Membership (CPM), to further support and grow paddling within the community.
Commercial Provider Membership provides PA qualified Instructors, Guides and Coaches a great opportunity to benefit from the support of the national sporting organisation, including PA’s insurance program, a registration system for participants, and advertising on the PA website.
“There are hundreds of people across Australia offering paddling services to those interested in learning more about the world of paddling. By better engaging with those Instructors, Guides and Coaches who are operating commercially, we can help paddlers to find quality service providers in their area, ensuring that they are able to develop their knowledge and skills in a safe environment, while offering ongoing opportunities in the PA community, including through local clubs, events, and more.
“This is one of the most important ways we can strengthen our sport and progress towards the PA vision of a ‘united paddling community’,” Paddle Australia’s Training and Participation Manager Mark Thurgood said.
WHAT IS A COMMERCIAL PROVIDER MEMBERSHIP?
Commercial Provider Membership provides PA qualified Instructors, Guides and Coaches an opportunity to take the benefits of an individual PA membership a step further, by including their business operations.
Under the CPM, Instructors, Guides and Coaches will be able to register paddling activities which they are qualified to provide and which they intend to offer (Programs) on PA’s Paddle Education platform. Holders of the CPM (Providers) will benefit from the support of the national sporting organisation, including:
- Coverage under PA’s National Insurance Program for both Providers and the participants in their Programs;
- Discounted pricing on PA education courses;
- An easy to use online participant registration system;
- An integrated email system to communicate with participants;
- The ability to invoice participants as a part of the registration system; and
- Advertising on the PA website.
By partnering with Paddle Australia and the State Paddle Associations, Providers will demonstrate to the public, including prospective participants, that their Programs comply with PA requirements. In an industry where there are many operators without formal qualifications or experience, the CPM shows that Providers are serious about education standards, safety requirements, and quality control.
WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE INCLUDED?
Commercial Provider Membership recognises all Programs which:
- The Provider is qualified to deliver under their PA Qualification; and
- Have been properly entered into the PA registration system.
To find out the scope of each PA Qualification, please consult the PA website. As long as the paddling activities offered are within the scope of the Provider’s PA Qualification, those are eligible to be registered as Programs.
All Providers will have access to the PA platform on which Programs are to be registered. Registration of all programs is required to:
- Ensure that they are recognised for insurance purposes;
- Enable the communication function between the Provider and the participants;
- Enable invoices to be forwarded from the Provider to participants: and
- Ensure that participant data is available if required.
To find out how simple it is to register a Program on the system, please view the instructional video here.
INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR CPMS
PA understands that a comprehensive insurance program is a ‘non-negotiable’ for responsible commercial providers. Accordingly, the CPM includes the following cover:
- Public Liability insurance for Providers whenever they are delivering a Program;
- Public Liability insurance for all registered participants of a Program;
- Professional Indemnity insurance for Providers in relation to the delivery of their Programs;
- Personal Accident insurance for Providers whenever they are a delivering a Program; and
- Personal Accident insurance for all registered participants of a Program during that Program.
Additionally, as members of PA, Providers are also covered 24/7 for their own personal paddling activities, for both Personal Accident and Public Liability.
A summary of the insurance cover afforded to Providers within the CPM is provided here. Please note, the limits of the insurance included in the membership are those of the PA National Insurance Program. Copies of all policies are available on the V-Insurance Group website and it is up to each individual Provider to satisfy themselves that these limits are suitable for individual circumstances.
COST
The Commercial Provider Membership is based around the financial year, starting on 1 July and concluding on 30 June. For the 2020/21 financial year, the full year cost of the CPM is $900.
Recognising that some Providers may wish to join as a member part way through the membership year, the cost of the CPM will reduce to $500 for any membership taken out after 1 January 2021.
CPM pricing is inclusive of GST.
PROCESS
Commercial Provider Membership can be purchased via the Paddle Australia Membership & Events Portal (click here). Please access the CPM User Guide for instructions on how to complete the transaction. In addition to paying for membership, Providers will need to provide some basic information about themselves and their business.
Once the CPM has been purchased, the Provider will receive an email:
- Confirming that membership has been successfully registered;
- Providing a link to login and view the current qualifications and expiry dates of the Provider’s PA Qualifications;
- Providing a link to the scopes of all PA Qualifications; and
- Providing the further information you will require on the program and participant registration system, including website details, username and password.
Please contact membership@paddle.org.au if you require any assistance.
For further information, see the FAQs here.
