SEDI Grants update

The Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) Grants program demonstrated the depth of demand for capacity-building support across the social enterprise sector. Since the launch of SEDI in 2024, IIA awarded approximately $6 million to 56 organisations nationwide, including 19 Indigenous organisations, from 940 expressions of interest and 424 applications. The scale of interest reinforces the importance of investment in enterprise readiness and growth.

The Australian Government has extended SEDI with an additional $3.9 million in funding. Details of the SEDI extension are still to be announced. Stay updated via the Department of Social Services website here and/or subscribe to our news, including SEDI Grants news (subscribe below).

Overview

SEDI Grants have helped social enterprises, including trading Indigenous owned or controlled organisations with a defined social benefit, grow their business, scale their impact and further their missions of creating positive social change. The grants, valued at up to $120,000 each, supported social enterprises to be more effective and efficient in demonstrating and increasing social impact for the people and communities they exist to support.

The initiative supported social enterprises across all states and territories that are delivering services for people living in Australia who are experiencing entrenched disadvantage, in a range of social outcome areas, including: communities, employment, education and First Nations Australians. View full list of the DSS outcome areas.

Funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Social Services the grants have been used to purchase business and impact capability building services from intermediaries, such as financial services, evaluation and impact measurement, business consulting and legal advice.

Grant eligibility

Eligible SEDI Grant applicants:

• Are a social enterprise (see definition below) or a trading Indigenous owned or controlled organisation with a defined social benefit
• Have a direct impact in one or more of the approved Department of Social Services outcome areas
• Currently provide direct benefit to those experiencing entrenched disadvantage in Australia
• Are an Australian organisation
• Have beneficiaries who primarily reside in Australia
• Have a trading revenue that exceeds $50,000 per year
• May be early stage but have progressed beyond the start-up phase
• Are seeking to scale impact (now or in the future) in one or more of the approved outcome areas to address entrenched disadvantage in Australia

Definition: A social enterprise is a business that puts people and planet first. It trades like any other business, but exists specifically to make the world a better place. A social enterprise seeks to solve a social or environmental problem. It can be a for-profit or non-profit organisation, or a charity that trades.

Notes:

• For the SEDI Grants program ‘trading revenue’ is income from the sale of goods or services to different customers in a repeatable way. It does not include donations, philanthropic or government grant funding for the delivery of social services. If trading revenue (as defined above) makes up less than 50% of all revenue, the organisation’s capability building plan must include activities that aim to substantially grow the trade element, to encourage sustainability. If a high proportion of trading revenue comes from one customer, the organisation’s capability building plan must include steps to attract more customers. The amount of funds awarded for a SEDI Grant depends on (1) the capability building services a social enterprise requires, (2) the associated provider/intermediary costs and (3) the social enterprise’s internal costs necessary to purchase capability building services. A grant will not be valued at more than the social enterprise’s annual turnover. The maximum value of a SEDI Grant is $120,000.
• This is a competitive grants process. Meeting all the eligibility criteria is not a guarantee of being awarded a SEDI Grant.
• An eligible applicant must currently provide direct benefit to those experiencing entrenched disadvantage in Australia. An organisation is not eligible to apply if the only benefit being provided is indirect (e.g. your organisation supports social enterprises that are providing the direct benefit).

Impact intermediaries

Impact intermediaries provide capability building services that help social enterprises scale their impact.

Note: There are no SEDI Grant ‘approved’ providers/intermediaries. The intermediaries listed on our website have not been accredited by IIA. We recommend you conduct thorough research to determine the suitability of an intermediary for your needs. The cost of capability building services is dependent on an organisation’s complexity, capability and what services are required. In procuring any services the social enterprise and the provider/intermediary should ensure they have a common understanding of what work is involved, what will be delivered, how much time it will take and what the risks are (e.g. unknown information).

• Affirmative Recruitment assists social enterprises to hire critical talent within their operations, with a unique focus on attracting and representing people with disabilities, providing targeted talent attraction strategies, specialising in permanent and fixed-term contract hiring
• Arctic90 is a boutique advisory working with purpose-led businesses on strategy, operations, sustainable growth, market access and scaling impact
• ARIIA provides bespoke research and evaluation services, consulting services and facilitated organisational capability building programs in the areas of innovation, leadership, change management and evidence-based practice
• Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE) supports individuals, enterprises and communities to build new cultures of social entrepreneurship, community-led rejuvenation and community asset ownership
• Awakening Leadership provides coaching, training, facilitation and consulting services to social entrepreneurs and purpose-driven leaders to elevate leadership and increase impact
• Beckon Capital helps enterprises and investors mobilise capital to create positive impact
• Benefit Capital offers a range of impact investing services, including helping social enterprises raise capital, corporate structuring for impact, reporting on impact and emerging impact investment opportunities
• Benefolk (formerly The Xfactor Collective) offers support in 100+ capability areas, including governance, strategy, leadership, impact and outcomes measurement, evaluation, communications, fundraising, legal and financial
• Better Charity works with for-purpose organisations on strategy, financing, fundraising, operations and impact
• Blue River Group assists clients create impact investment products and then find the appropriate wholesale investors for those products
• BlueRock helps social enterprises with business planning, financial management, contract negotiation, legal support and access to finance
• brandkind provides branding, marketing and communications to support social enterprises to amplify their impact and grow
• Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) provides advice and information to start-up and established co-operative and mutual enterprises in business planning, governance and legal, measurement and capital raising
• Catena Capital provides capital advisory services to help organisations optimise their capital structure and make informed decisions
• Centre for Social Impact offers capability building services across social impact and outcomes measurement, evaluation approaches, impact strategy, scaling models, Theory of Change and professional development
• Changemakers Lab is helping grow the social enterprise ecosystem by assisting people and organisations through coaching, start-up programs and community support
• Collab4Good is a South Australian impact intermediary that builds the capacity and capabilities of impact-driven individuals and businesses to lead, learn, connect and collaborate to deliver positive social impact
• Collappor8 specialises in business strategy, contract negotiation, outcomes measurement and evaluation, and assists organisations in accessing finance, including grants
• Co-operative Bonds works with purpose and values-driven member-based organisations to develop financially viable and sustainable business models that maintain a strong connection to their vision and community
• Create and Evaluate specialises in social impact measurement, strategic planning, team building and training in grant writing, with expertise in regional and rural businesses
• Echo Impact Group provides strategic change, systems impact measurement and evaluation, and community-led storytelling services for businesses, organisations and institutions to ensure continuity of their positive impact
• Elaine Hendrick Consulting collaborates with social enterprises to turn their purpose into actionable strategies that maximise impact, measure meaningful outcomes and contribute to a better future for all.
• Esparq Ventures is an Indigenous owned and led non-profit supporting early-stage Indigenous social enterprises to scale their impact
• For-Purpose Evaluations works with for-purpose organisations and governments to create and implement social impact measurement frameworks and evaluate existing projects and new innovations
• For Purpose Investment Partners is a social impact investment fund manager, bringing private sector capital and capabilities into sizeable businesses and projects to create significant social impact
• Frankston Social Enterprise Hub seeks to establish the Southern Metropolitan region of Melbourne as a region renowned for flourishing enterprise doing good for people and planet
• Geraldine Grace is a Melbourne legal practice helping create more responsible, human-centred, impact-led and environmentally conscious enterprises, with experience in governance and regulatory frameworks relevant to impact investing
• Giving Tree Advisors helps not-for-profits and social enterprises build grant strategies, apply and navigate funding, drawing on experience from over $5 million in successful grant applications
• Global Impact Initiative helps impact investing scale globally through specialised consulting, investment funds and education
• GoodWolf works with for-purpose organisations on strategy, impact measurement, philanthropy and investment, operations and innovation
• Hatchman Consultants is dedicated to empowering sports and community organisations in regional and remote Western Australia through comprehensive services in project management, grant writing, governance and the development of sustainable initiatives
• Impact Boom provides social enterprises with advisory services to develop sustainable businesses that create positive social impact
• Impact Generation Partners advises, invests in and supports enterprises that deliver financial as well as social and/or environmental returns
• Impact Outfit supports organisations to scale and grow positive social and environmental impact through their business activities, investments and philanthropy
• Impact Seed provides bespoke and programmatic capacity building and investment readiness support to social enterprises in Western Australia
• ImpaQT bridges the gap between Queensland’s social innovation and impact investing sectors
• Institute Community Directors Australia provides governance training and capacity building services for board directors and leaders in the community sector
• Ithaca Impact provides support to organisations, including social enterprises, to scale their business and measure and report their impact to shareholders and stakeholders
• Jess Cossens is a management consultant who supports purpose-driven clients with strategy, organisational effectiveness, program design and evaluation, diversity, equity and inclusion, project management and delivery
• Leadership Space partners with social enterprise leaders and teams, helping them to steer through change and growth and to attract and sustain funding
• Leadership Victoria develops, connects and inspires leaders from all sectors and backgrounds to tackle complex and systemic problems, and strengthen communities
• LendForGood is a crowd-lending platform for impact businesses, helping them find the capital they need to grow by democratising impact investment
• Madlen Toumbourou Consulting helps impact-driven organisations scale their influence, refine their strategy, tell their impact story, align operations with their mission and secure the resources needed for sustainable growth
• Marque Lawyers is a certified B Corp that provides practical legal advice and support to purpose-driven organisations (including social enterprises, investors, and intermediaries) to build sustainable partnerships that are about making a positive difference while also earning financial returns
• MinterEllison has expertise in assisting social enterprises to scale and grow, as well as broader sector support for social enterprise peak bodies, certifying bodies and funds
• Nadia + Alf Taylor Foundation provides pro bono philanthropic advisory to individuals and organisations that want to invest in social enterprise projects. Its Enable Fund ensures that 100% of donor tax-deductible donations are channelled to credible, global projects
• NeoT Solutions is a social enterprise working in regional and remote areas, transforming community aspirations into sustainable outcomes for the community, social, environmental and cultural sectors through place-based partnerships, strategic planning and authentic engagement
• Olivia Cozzolino: Impact Practice works with social enterprises to develop strategy, diversify income streams, streamline operations and uncover the root causes of financial challenges – so they can grow their impact and achieve long-term financial sustainability
• One10 enables change makers, innovators and social benefit suppliers to create by providing expertise, connections and access to investors and capital
• Purpose Made offers solutions that create real impact, and advisory services on innovative financing
• Purpose Plus by Tender Plus helps social enterprises with business planning, program design, financial management, philanthropy and government fund raising, and impact measurement
• Purpose with Profit (PwP) advocates and works to grow the purpose-led economy, specialising in growth advisory using business and impact ESG indicators to break through the ‘purpose’ ceiling
• Regen Labs helps regenerative enterprises to identify and connect with the right catalytic grants and finance – to enable progress and fulfilment of potential
• Right Lane is an ethical management consulting firm serving the purpose economy with a vision to build a strong Australian purpose economy that delivers a fairer and more prosperous society
• Sedo Group supports social enterprises to grow and compete in the social procurement space by helping them get certified, build capability, connect with partners and secure grants and contracts
• Sefa equips social purpose organisations with the tools, knowledge, resources and financial solutions to become more confident, sustainable and fitter to make a positive impact
• Social Change Central is a dedicated online hub for social enterprises
• Social Engine acts as a centralised hub and strategic partner, offering a comprehensive suite of services designed to streamline operations, facilitate growth and maximise the impact of social enterprises
• Social Impact Hub helps social enterprises maximise their impact through advice, education, collaboration and the mobilisation of capital
• Social Outcomes supports clients to develop evidence-based impact frameworks with clear outcomes measures designed to support the impact capital-raising process
• Social Scaffolding supports organisations to create social good, for social enterprises this may include business modelling, outcome measurement, impact assessment, governance and reporting
• Social Ventures Australia provides advocacy, consulting and advisory services, including strategy and governance, business planning, capital raising (wholesale market) and outcomes management
• Solutions2You provides business advisory services, leadership and mentoring programs, and supports women-owned business
• StartSomeGood provides tools, education, coaching and a blended ecosystem of community, courses and fundraising platforms to turn bright ideas into real impact through social entrepreneurship
• Sustainable Value specialises in social outcomes frameworks and measures that enable the collection of service user data to produce insights about human outcomes from programs, businesses and services
• The Data Conversation supports social enterprises and community organisations to collect, manage and use data to make a difference. Services include designing social impact measurement frameworks, designing and building data recording systems, and developing reporting dashboards and data visualisations
• The Difference Incubator partners with entrepreneurs to strengthen their growth strategies and impact, by providing business strategy support, financial modelling, investment readiness, and business and mindset coaching
• The NonProfit Alliance and For-Purpose Alliance catalyse the collective wisdom and experience of for-purpose leaders through peer-to-peer leadership programs that build capability
• Towards Better specialises in inclusive community development, custom training modules and mentoring programs tailored to enhance social enterprise effectiveness and sustainability
• Worthwhile Ventures empowers First Nations people and enterprises that generate positive impact for First Nation communities
• Violet Co Legal & Consulting works with businesses and organisations wanting to make a positive impact with and for women and Indigenous peoples
• winwork360 supports for-purpose organisations to plan and achieve sustained growth through strategy and planning, government and philanthropic grant writing, revenue diversification strategies and corporate partnership programs
• White Box Enterprises builds, supports and advocates for large-scale jobs-focused social enterprises, so that every individual can access meaningful and inclusive employment

Impact incubators and accelerators

Impact incubators and accelerators help social enterprises and purpose driven start ups grow their business and prepare for future impact investment.

Note: There are no SEDI Grant ‘approved’ incubators and accelerators. The incubators and accelerators listed on our website have not been accredited by IIA. We recommend you conduct thorough research to determine the suitability of an incubator/accelerator for your needs. The cost of services is dependent on an organisation’s complexity, capability and what services are required. In procuring any services the social enterprise and the incubator/accelerator should ensure they have a common understanding of what work is involved, what will be delivered, how much time it will take and what the risks are (e.g. unknown information).

• Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE) provides social enterprise learning and development expertise and advisory as well as incubator and accelerator programs for enterprising community-led initiatives
• Enactus Australia is a national community of students, academics, business leaders, partners and program alumni with a passion to leverage entrepreneurship for positive social and environmental outcomes
• Energy Lab is Australia’s largest clean tech startup accelerator
• Green Collect works with organisations and communities to enable circularity, reuse and the best environmental outcome for all types of items
• Impact Boom‘s Elevate+ program helps entrepreneurs develop sustainable and scalable impact enterprises
• Impact Seed‘s Impact2Innovate program provides bespoke and programmatic capacity building and investment readiness support to social enterprises in Western Australia
• One10 enables change makers, innovators and social benefit suppliers to create by providing expertise, connections and access to investors and capital
• Regen Labs provides individual and cohort-based incubation and acceleration support to regenerative enterprises, primarily based in regional Australia
• Scaling Impact helps start ups grow their business and prepare for future impact investment
• Solutions2You provides business advisory services, leadership and mentoring programs, and supports women-owned business
• StartSomeGood provides tools, education, coaching and a blended ecosystem of community, courses and fundraising platforms to turn bright ideas into real impact through social entrepreneurship
• The Mill House Ventures delivers accelerator and incubator business programs for ACT start-up social entrepreneurs, as well as growth programs and business support activities to assist their sustainability
• White Box Enterprises builds, supports and advocates for large-scale jobs-focused social enterprises so that every individual can access meaningful and inclusive employment

If you are an impact incubator or accelerator and would like to be included on this list, contact enquiries@impactinvestingaustralia