A BCITF is a State/Territory based industry fund established by an Act of Parliament to support the training of eligible persons in the building and construction industry.

Each fund is financed by a levy on defined building and construction work and is managed by an industry Board, which functions under the same Act of Parliament. The State/Territory Minister responsible for vocational education and training appoints members of the Board, who are drawn from industry and relevant Government bodies responsible for education and training.

The Board prepares an annual training plan for approval by the Minister. The plan considers the training needs of the whole industry and includes allocation of funding from the State/Territory fund to individual training programs.