The Albanese Labor Government is delivering $600,000 in funding to further support social enterprises across Australia, recognising their impact on local communities.
Six social enterprises across Australia dedicated to strengthening their local communities will receive grants under the Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) to create jobs, grow local opportunities and expand their impact.
Many social enterprises are eager to scale up and help more people; they just need targeted support to do so. These grants – up to $120,000, will enable them to access advice like financial management, business planning and legal support so they can grow and strengthen their businesses.
One of the successful social enterprises is Sydney based FoodLab who will receive $120,000. FoodLab is helping people from refugee, migrant, First Nations and low-income backgrounds start and grow their own food businesses, creating pathways to secure employment and economic independence. By reinvesting their profits into training and mentoring, FoodLab has already helped establish 28 active food businesses and support 51 jobs across Sydney.
We are also providing a grant worth $58,750 to Strait Experience, a Thursday Island based social enterprise. They employ local Indigenous people to deliver cultural tours showcasing arts, food and history.
The Government has invested $6.6 million in SEDI grants to over 60 social enterprises since 2024, recognising their important role in creating opportunities for some of our most marginalised communities including refugees and asylum seekers, First Nations people, young people and people with disability.
The results speak for themselves, with social enterprises that have received a SEDI grant able to support more people with stronger services and greater community impact.
Applications for SEDI Capability Building Grants are still open. More information on SEDI, including the full list of grant recipients, is available on the Department of Social Services website.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek:
“The Albanese Labor Government understands that social enterprises help open the doors to opportunities and strengthen our communities right across the country.
“These grants announced today mean more social enterprises across Australia will have access to funding that helps them grow their business, support more people and increase their positive impact.
“We’ve heard directly from social enterprises that these grants are making a real difference on the ground - they’re able to help more people, improve their services and give back to their communities.
“By investing in the Social Enterprise Development Initiative we’re backing in businesses that support their local communities
Successful social enterprises for this grant round include:
Future Anything (QLD, Brisbane) – An innovation program supporting teachers to help students build employability skills through their own youth-led social enterprises.
Strait Experience (QLD, Thursday Island)– A Torres Strait Islander travel operator providing employment pathways to local Indigenous people to deliver cultural, arts and history tours.
RoboFit (NSW, Wollongong)– An organisation providing integrated rehabilitation and employment to Australians with disability.
HoMie (Vic, Melbourne) – A streetwear brand with profits going towards supporting young people affected by homelessness or hardship and developing employment training programs.
FoodLab (NSW, SYDNEY)– A catering business reinvesting its profits to train those from refugee, migrant, First Nations and low-income backgrounds to create their own food businesses.
Prepare Produce Provide (WA, Perth) – An organisation providing training and experience to Indigenous Youth in Western Australia helping create career pathways in education, food and hospitality.