Frequently Asked Questions

Ace Strategies is an independent Australian corporate affairs firm founded in 2024 by Matt Neagle. We specialise in government relations, stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, and media management. Our team brings together senior advisers, political strategists, media specialists, and diplomatic experts to help Australian and international organisations navigate complex political, regulatory, and public environments — with clarity, integrity, and demonstrable results.

Our head office is in Adelaide, South Australia — PO Box 104, Walkerville, SA 5081. While we are headquartered in Adelaide, we work with organisations across Australia and internationally, drawing on a national network of alliance partners and decades of combined experience at every level of Australian government.

Ace Strategies was founded in 2024 by Matt Neagle — an international journalist, political adviser, and industry specialist with deep experience across government, diplomacy, and strategic communications. He established the firm on a simple belief: that clarity cuts through noise, and that impactful outcomes are built on meaningful relationships. The goal was to create an independent, personalised consultancy that could deliver the responsiveness of a boutique firm with the depth of a much larger operation.

Several things set us apart. First, our team: rather than generalists, we deploy practitioners who have operated at the highest levels of Australian and international affairs — former government ministers, senior political advisers, diplomatic specialists, defence-sector experts, and award-winning journalists. Second, our approach: rather than treating government relations, communications, and stakeholder engagement as separate disciplines, we integrate them behind a single coherent strategy. Third, our network: through the Invest Australia Alliance, we can deploy specialist partners across legal, financial, workforce, tendering, and digital domains without our clients needing to manage multiple agencies. And fourth, our commitment: clients work directly with senior people, not account managers.

Yes. Ace Strategies is registered on both the federal and relevant state lobbyist registers, as required by Australian law. We operate in full compliance with the Australian Government's Lobbying Code of Conduct and the equivalent state and territory regulations. We maintain a conflicts register and uphold full client confidentiality at all times. Our complete Code of Conduct is published at acestrategies.au/legal/code-of-conduct/.

We adhere to the Australian Government's Lobbying Code of Conduct, applicable state and territory lobbying regulations, the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) Code of Ethics, and the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Our four guiding principles for all government engagement are sound public policy, transparency, government alignment, and community benefit. We believe the most durable advocacy is grounded in genuine policy substance — not tactics or short-term pressure.

We offer six core strategic capabilities: Government Relations, which covers engagement with decision-makers at local, state, and federal levels; Stakeholder Engagement & Social Licence, focused on building and maintaining community trust; Strategic Communications, encompassing ESG, investor, change management, and campaign communications; Media Issues Management, including proactive media strategy, executive training, and crisis response; Research & Polling, delivered through our partnership with DemosAU; and Market Entry & Business Growth, supporting organisations entering or expanding within the Australian market. In addition, we offer specialist services including corporate video production, podcast and audio production, digital and design services, and executive media and communications training.

Yes. We serve government bodies, private sector organisations, and international businesses at all stages of their relationship with the Australian market. Our team has direct experience in international diplomacy, and the Invest Australia Alliance was specifically designed to support organisations from overseas who are seeking to enter or scale within Australia.

Yes. Crisis and issues management is a core competency, woven through our media management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communications services. Our team is experienced in building crisis readiness frameworks before a situation arises, responding rapidly and effectively when it does, and restoring reputation and trust in the aftermath. We can also provide training and scenario planning so your leadership team is prepared.

Yes. Executive media training is one of our specialist services. We prepare senior leaders and spokespeople for press interviews, broadcast appearances, public hearings, and high-stakes announcements — covering everything from message development and delivery technique to body language and handling difficult questions under pressure.

We work across a wide range of industries, including defence and aerospace, water and infrastructure, health and medical, agriculture and rural industries, technology and innovation, energy, government and regional bodies, and professional services. Our case studies include engagements with SA Water, Techforce Personnel, OTR Group, Mood State Medical, Flinders Ranges Council, Defence Teaming Centre, and many others.

In The Know is the DemosAU podcast, which explores Australian political data, polling insights, and strategic intelligence. It is produced in partnership with Ace Strategies and is available on YouTube via @intheknowau.

Government relations — also called public affairs — is the discipline of identifying and engaging the right government decision-makers, advisers, and bureaucrats to advance your organisation's policy interests. It includes stakeholder mapping, advocacy strategy development, political risk analysis, government correspondence and submission management, parliamentary monitoring, and direct representation across local, state, and federal levels. Effective government relations is not simply about access; it is about building genuine, trusted relationships grounded in credible policy arguments.

Our approach is anchored in four principles: sound public policy, transparency, government alignment, and community benefit. We believe the most effective advocacy is built on substantive, defensible policy positions — not pressure or tactics alone. Our team uses Advoc8, APAC's leading government relations platform, to manage stakeholder relationships, track engagement activity, and ensure every interaction is purposeful and properly documented.

Yes. We assist organisations in understanding and navigating the full range of Australian regulatory requirements, including Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) processes, taxation obligations, employment and workplace law, and visa and migration pathways. This is particularly important for international businesses entering the Australian market, where regulatory complexity can be a significant barrier without the right guidance.

A social licence to operate is the informal — but critically important — level of acceptance and approval that an organisation receives from the communities and stakeholders it affects. It is not a legal permit; it is earned through consistent, transparent, and empathetic engagement. Without it, even fully permitted and legally compliant projects can face protests, delays, or intensified regulatory scrutiny. We help organisations earn their social licence before they need it, and protect or restore it if it is ever at risk.

Through our exclusive partnership with DemosAU, we offer a comprehensive research suite: political polling covering voting intentions and party preferences; issue-specific policy polling; message testing and advertising creative testing; audience analysis and segmentation; campaign impact measurement; and advanced MRP (Multilevel Regression and Poststratification) modelling. DemosAU is a member of both the Australian Polling Council and the Research Society, ensuring all research meets the highest professional and methodological standards.

MRP stands for Multilevel Regression and Poststratification. It is a sophisticated statistical method that combines large survey datasets with census and administrative data to produce highly granular, seat-by-seat or region-by-region political estimates — far more precise than standard national polling. It allows campaigns, organisations, and government bodies to understand political sentiment and opinion at a local level, enabling smarter, more targeted strategy and resource allocation.

Ace Strategies publishes regular polling reports in our News & Insights and Polling sections. Current voting intention data is available for the Federal level and all eight states and territories: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and the ACT. Invest Australia Alliance members have access to a broader archive of polling data — including detailed PDF reports and Federal MRP models — through the member portal.

Yes. Through DemosAU, we can design and execute bespoke research programs tailored to your specific policy issue, campaign, or product. This includes issue polling on particular policy matters, message testing to identify which arguments resonate most with target audiences, and ad creative testing to optimise communications before they go to market. We also offer conversational AI research methodologies for more nuanced qualitative insight.

The Invest Australia Alliance (IAA) is a curated network of agile, rigorously vetted strategic businesses assembled to support organisations pursuing growth in the Australian market. Led by Ace Strategies, the Alliance brings together twelve specialist firms spanning legal and commercial advice, business advisory, workforce solutions, tendering and bids, design and digital, communications production, financial compliance, planning and approvals, social licence, and international intelligence. Together, they deliver the comprehensive strategic, regulatory, and operational infrastructure organisations need to enter or expand within Australia with certainty and speed.

The current IAA network includes: DemosAU (market research and polling), Skilion Advisory (legal and commercial), Skye Advisory (business advisory), Techforce Personnel (workforce solutions), BidWrite (tendering and bids), Komms-Haus (design and digital), Grant Law PR (communications production), Kissinger Advisors (international intelligence), Vitas Advisory (financial compliance), Future Urban (planning and approvals), Kilo Partners (social licence), and Ace Strategies as the lead and coordinating agency.

The IAA provides end-to-end support across four integrated service areas: Strategic Advisory — political risk analysis, government relations, stakeholder mapping, and business-to-government planning; Market Intelligence — competitor analysis, procurement pathway mapping, sovereign capability alignment, and polling; Regulatory & Compliance — FIRB navigation, taxation, employment law, and migration; and Operational Establishment — site selection, leasing, talent acquisition, supply chain development, and local entity setup. Clients access all of this through a single coordinated point of accountability: Ace Strategies.

The IAA follows a structured three-phase model. Phase One — Discovery & Diagnostics — involves a readiness audit, identification of capability and knowledge gaps, and a thorough mapping of the regulatory and political landscape relevant to your objectives. Phase Two — Strategy & Sequencing — produces a phased market entry or expansion plan, with partner selection, capital requirements, and stakeholder timelines all defined. Phase Three — Execution & Integration — activates the Alliance network to deliver on the plan: entity establishment, recruitment, lobbying, regulatory submissions, and commercial launch, all coordinated by Ace Strategies.

The IAA Member Portal is a private, login-gated resource hub available exclusively to Alliance members. It contains quarterly market intelligence briefings covering current conditions, regulatory changes, and emerging opportunities; regulatory update summaries on FIRB decisions, taxation changes, and compliance requirements; a full partner directory with contact details, service capabilities, and regional coverage; and a library of downloadable research including polling data and market reports.

Access is by invitation. Once your membership is confirmed, you will receive a secure magic link by email — no password is needed. Simply click the link to log in and access the portal. Sessions are maintained for 30 days before a new link is required. If you need help accessing the portal, contact us at alliance@acestrategies.au.

To explore IAA membership, contact Ace Strategies directly at alliance@acestrategies.au or use our contact form at acestrategies.au/contact/. Our team will arrange an initial conversation to understand your objectives and determine whether — and how — the Alliance is the right fit for your organisation.

Australia has a distinctive regulatory, political, and cultural environment that rewards local knowledge. FIRB requirements can affect foreign investment across many sectors; government procurement and B2G relationships operate through specific channels and relationships; employment law and visa processes have their own complexity; and community expectations around consultation and social licence are high. Organisations that arrive without this understanding often face avoidable delays, costs, and reputational risks. The Invest Australia Alliance exists precisely to provide that local expertise — quickly, and through a single coordinated team.

Yes. Through the Invest Australia Alliance, we provide practical support for FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board) processes — from initial assessment of whether your transaction requires notification or approval, through to preparation of the application and strategic engagement with relevant government stakeholders. FIRB navigation is one of the Alliance's core regulatory and compliance offerings.

Absolutely. Market entry support is not limited to international organisations. We regularly assist Australian companies pursuing growth in new states or industry sectors — navigating state-level government relationships, building stakeholder networks in unfamiliar markets, and developing the strategic and communications infrastructure needed to compete and win.

Every engagement follows four steps. Discovery: we take time to genuinely understand your organisation, objectives, challenges, and operating environment — this is not a formality; it is the foundation of everything that follows. Strategy: we develop a tailored, integrated plan that aligns your communications, stakeholder engagement, and government relations into a coherent whole. Execution: we implement with precision and discipline, adapting as the environment evolves while keeping our focus on your outcomes. Evaluation: we measure results against agreed objectives, refine our approach, and ensure the engagement delivers continuous improvement.

We do not publish standard pricing, because every engagement is tailored to the specific circumstances, objectives, and scope of each client. There are no off-the-shelf retainers or packages. All engagements begin with a discovery conversation, after which we provide a bespoke proposal. To start that conversation, contact us at info@acestrategies.au, call 0408 207 256, or use the contact form at acestrategies.au/contact/.

You will work directly with senior practitioners — not account managers or junior staff. Our team includes former government ministers, senior political advisers, award-winning journalists, international diplomats, and defence-sector specialists. The person who proposes and designs your strategy is the person who delivers it.

Yes, and we often do. We are experienced in working as an extension of internal teams — providing specialist capacity, senior relationships, or specific expertise that complements what you already have in-house. We are flexible in how we structure our involvement and focused entirely on what achieves the best outcome for your organisation.

There are several ways to stay informed. You can visit our News & Insights page and Polling page for the latest articles, polling reports, and political analysis. You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter — the signup form is in the footer of every page on this site. And you can follow us on LinkedIn for regular updates and commentary.

Our newsletter delivers market intelligence, political analysis, and strategic insights directly to your inbox once a month. It draws on our own research and polling, as well as the broader intelligence gathered through the Invest Australia Alliance. To subscribe, enter your email address in the newsletter signup form at the bottom of any page.

Yes. Published polling reports from DemosAU are available on our Polling page and featured in the News & Insights section. IAA members have access to a wider archive through the member portal, including detailed PDF reports, Federal MRP model outputs, and historical state-level data going back across multiple election cycles.

Into Gear: Defence Industrial Cooperation is a strategic research paper co-authored by Ace Strategies' senior strategist Guy Boekenstein, published by the United States Studies Centre. It examines defence industrial cooperation between Australia, Japan, and the United States — and is available for download from our News & Insights section.

Ace Strategies complies fully with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). We collect personal information only for the purposes for which it was provided — primarily to respond to enquiries and deliver our services. We implement appropriate security measures to protect that information, and we do not sell or share it with third parties without your consent. Our full Privacy Policy is available at acestrategies.au/legal/privacy/.

Use of the Ace Strategies website is governed by South Australian and Commonwealth law. All content on the site — including text, data, analysis, design, and imagery — is the intellectual property of Ace Strategies and may not be reproduced, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission. Our full Terms of Use are available at acestrategies.au/legal/terms/.

Any concerns about our conduct, ethical standards, or compliance with our Code of Conduct should be directed to the Managing Director. You can reach us at info@acestrategies.au or by calling 0408 207 256. We take all concerns seriously and are committed to resolving them transparently and promptly.

You can reach our team through any of the following: by email at info@acestrategies.au; by phone on 0408 207 256; by post at PO Box 104, Walkerville, SA 5081, Australia; or through the contact form at acestrategies.au/contact/. For Invest Australia Alliance enquiries specifically, please contact alliance@acestrategies.au.