Good environmental data shouldn't be limited to organisations with large technology budgets.
That's one of the ideas behind the new STA Sponsored Tier, launching in Australia from 1 January 2027.
Through the initiative, eligible organisations purchasing new STA hardware will be able to access the STA platform with a $0 annual subscription, with software access supported through sponsorship.
For TerraLab, it's an opportunity to help make technology we've spent years developing available to more of the organisations doing important environmental work on the ground.
Removing a barrier to better field data
We've worked with environmental organisations of very different sizes over the years. One recurring challenge is that funding doesn't always align neatly with the way modern technology is sold.
An organisation might receive funding for a weed control project, restoration program or equipment purchase, but committing to another recurring annual software subscription can be much harder. This can be particularly challenging for community groups, Landcare organisations, not-for-profits and smaller environmental programs. The result is sometimes that useful technology remains out of reach, even when it could reduce field administration and produce considerably better information about the work being undertaken. The STA Sponsored Tier is an attempt to change that.
Hardware in the field, sponsorship behind the scenes
Organisations participating in the program will still purchase their STA hardware. Sponsorship will support access to the software platform, allowing eligible organisations to operate their devices without the normal annual subscription cost during their sponsored year.
The program will initially be available to eligible new customers in Australia, with a limited number of sponsorship places available each year. Full details of eligibility, functionality and program conditions are available on the STA website.
Supporting more environmental work
STA began as a way of solving a very practical problem: collecting better information about field activities without asking operators to spend their day entering data. Since then, the platform has been used across weed management, conservation and other environmental programs.
Expanding access through sponsorship creates an opportunity for the same technology to reach organisations and projects that might otherwise have struggled to justify an ongoing subscription.
For us, the value isn't simply getting more devices into the field. It's enabling more environmental work to be recorded consistently, creating better information about what has actually happened on the ground and ultimately helping organisations make better-informed management decisions.
A different model for environmental technology
The Sponsored Tier is also something of an experiment. Most environmental technology follows a familiar model: purchase the equipment, purchase the software and continue paying for access each year.
There are good reasons that model exists, particularly when software requires continual development, hosting, maintenance and support. But it doesn't necessarily work equally well for every organisation.
By bringing sponsors into the equation, we're exploring whether some of that ongoing cost can be shifted away from organisations undertaking environmental work, while still maintaining the technology and infrastructure that supports them. We think that's worth trying.
Expressions of interest are now open
The STA Sponsored Tier launches on 1 January, with a limited number of places available.
Australian organisations interested in participating can register their interest through the STA contact page, including approximately how many devices they would like to use.
We're looking forward to seeing which organisations and projects can benefit from the first intake and, hopefully, helping STA reach some places where an ongoing subscription previously made it difficult.
Learn more about the STA Sponsored Tier and register your interest through the STA website.