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.
