Social Enterprise News

Since the Queensland Social Enterprise Council conducted the Annual Member Survey in 2021, the next wave of COVID has struck across Australia and the state, leaving businesses dealing with a legacy of unresolved issues from previous restrictions and mini lockdowns.

Take a look at our January Check-In Report

Social Enterprise in Brisbane | Brisbane City Council

Social Enterprise in Brisbane

Brisbane City Council is committed to the advancement of social enterprises. These programs are in addition to existing business initiatives, which are all part of building Australia’s most business-friendly city.

Stronger Social Enterprises: Business Coaching

Council is committed to advancing the development of Brisbane social enterprises.

In 2022, Council is continuing to fund one-on-one business coaching to assist established social enterprises to grow and develop their business model. 

Applications are now open. Submit your application before midnight on Sunday 20 February 2022.

Prominence Consulting will provide 14 established social enterprises up to 11-hours of tailored one-on-one business coaching from 7 March to June 2022.

Business coaching is a collaborative two-way relationship between a business and a professional coach, to help in progressing a key goal or goals that are important for the development and success of the business. The coach’s role is to provide the guidance, support and accountability you need to help you set and move through your goals, allowing you to take your business from where it is to where you want it to be.

Prominence Consulting has provided business coaching since 2003 and has extensive experience in tackling business problems for small businesses, not-for-profits, social enterprises and large organisations in an efficient and fit-for-purpose way. The coaching can focus on a range of areas including:

• business operating model
• marketing and communication
• business improvement and cost reduction
• supply chain and quality
• human resources and industrial relations
• ICT/digital transformation
• tenancy negotiations
• business strategy and risk management
• maximising social return on investment (SROI).

The program

• Up to 11-hours of business coaching for each successful social enterprise from 7 March to June 2022.
• Targeted and tailored, one-on-one business coaching, focusing on the areas that will be most beneficial to you/your business within the coaching time available.
• Depending on the goals you set, this program will require approximately 20 hours of your dedicated time for the duration of the program to participate in both the one-on-one coaching sessions and enable you to complete agreed activities/tasks between coaching sessions.
• Building on the work achieved during the coaching sessions, your coach will work with you so that you have an action plan for you to carry forward into the future. 

Eligibility 

To be eligible to apply for business coaching, a social enterprise must:

• be physically located within the Brisbane City Council Local Government Area
• have been trading for a minimum of two years
• derive most of its income from trade, not donations or grants
• use a portion of its profits to work towards its social mission
• be able to dedicate approximately 20 hours of your time for the coaching sessions and agreed activities/tasks. 

Process and timeframes

Council will assess applications and select the social enterprises that will receive business coaching in consultation with Prominence Consulting.

Council will notify applicants of the outcome of their application by 4 March 2022.

Business coaching will be conducted from 7 March to June 2022. Actual timing for each session will be agreed between the business and the coach on an as need basis.

The Pro Bono Impact 25 awards recognise the impact and change makers of our times. 

There is an incredible group of leaders nominated for this year's awards. Click below to cast your vote!

https://www.impact25.probonoaustralia.com.au/

The Refinery is a creative incubator designed to transform ideas into sustainable businesses.

A testing ground and training platform, The Refinery connects the dots between creativity and business, with access to mentors and a network of inspiring industry leaders sharing real time knowledge. 

Working both online and from select venues on the Sunshine Coast, including The Met Maroochydore, 15 participants come together once a week for 15 weeks, culminating in a public showcase event. 

The Refinery presents weekly programmed sessions covering business strategy, market analysis, economic models and connects collaborators and investors to bring ideas to market.

​Participants will also get mentoring from leading industry professionals, provide support to each other via a digital platform and gain access to online learning modules which cover the fundamentals of turning an idea into impact.

Connect online  as we announce 4.0 Mentors and public events in 2022. 

https://www.therefinerysunshinecoast.com/

Webinar Registration

Topic

BOOST SUPPLY: State of Social Procurement webinar series (1 hr)

Description

Part 2 of the State of Social Procurement in Australia and New Zealand webinar series asks how can government, intermediaries and the private sector work together to support capacity and capability of benefit suppliers?

Time

Feb 10, 2022 01:00 PM in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Are you a Community Development Legend looking to tackle your next project within an exciting, challenging and engaging new role? Then this is the role for you!

With a passion for the diverse social enterprise sector, you will work with a dedicated team in the heart of Brisbane's CBD to build systems and deliver programs which aim to grow the social enterprise sector in Queensland.

Some of your duties and responsibilities will include:

• Coordinate the development and implementation of the social enterprise ecosystem
• Engage and build strong relationships with stakeholders, including social entrepreneurs, sector leaders, volunteers, contractors, and relevant industry partners
• Work closely with the CEO and team to manage project resources and activities
• Lead regional event planning across key regional areas
• Build community development systems for the growth of the sector
• Process mapping and program designs
• Working within tight budgetary restraints

Ideally the successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Proven experience in a community development role
• Knowledge of social enterprise
• Strong stakeholder engagement background
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Inventive, innovative, and creative approach
• Strong IT proficiency
• Project management and community facilitation skills
• Ability to travel as required

CLICK HERE TO GO TO SEEK.com

This role will be on a fixed term contract directly with our client for the duration of this 18-month project. This is a Part Time role working 4 days per week.

Support if you can't earn an income because you or someone you’re caring for has to self-isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19.

Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment is a lump sum payment to help you during the time you can’t work and earn income because you have to:

• self-isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19
• you’re caring for someone who has to self-isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19.

You have to self-isolate or quarantine for one of the following reasons:

• you have coronavirus (COVID-19), for isolation periods starting before 10 January 2022, you must have been directly informed you have COVID-19 by a health official
• you’re informed by a health official that you’re a close contact with a person who has COVID-19
• you care for a child, 16 years or under, who has COVID-19
• you’re informed by a health official that a child you care for who is 16 years or under, is a close contact with a person who has COVID-19
• you’re caring for someone who has COVID-19
• you’re caring for someone with disability or a severe medical condition who must self-isolate or quarantine because they’re a close contact of a person with COVID-19.

MORE DETAILS

Vision and mission for the sector

Work has just kicked off to develop a vision and mission for the Australia social enterprise sector. 

This will be the means through which to set a shared direction and articulate a compelling call to action; one that also engages the wider impact ecosystem and the Federal Government.

ASENA (Alliance of Social Enterprise Networks Australia) and the state networks have been engaged to give initial feedback on the draft vision and mission from the Yunus Centre report.

This feedback will then be compiled to put to sector-wide workshops to discuss and further develop. To allow for different availability and maximise participation, three open-invite workshops with the same format will be held on the following dates. People are encouraged to book into one only.

The results of these workshops will then be compiled for ASENA, then the SENS Advisory Council, to finalise.

REGISTER for TICKETS: https://events.humanitix.com/conversation-circles-national-vision-and-mission-for-social-enterprise

The Australian Federal Government has announced funding to support refugee employment. It is a $24.6 million four-year grant program with the Department of Home Affairs.

The fund is anticipated to allow social enterprises to create opportunities for employment for refugee and humanitarian entrants and help the sector to maximise the critical role it can play. It will demonstrate how government and social enterprise can together unlock greater economic inclusion.

More here: https://www.socialchangecentral.com/social-enterprise-funding-to-support-refugee-employment/

Sector Development Grants

The Sector Development Grants program will provide grants of between $10,000 and $200,000 for projects that support the development and growth of the social enterprise ecosystem in Queensland.

Applications close 11 February 2022.

Eligible applicants are sector intermediary organisations or significant ecosystem developers with experience in building the skills, capability and capacity of social enterprises. Such intermediaries may include:

• incubator and accelerator program providers
• social entrepreneurs
• social enterprise networks
• research providers
• academic institutions.

Individual social enterprises may be eligible to apply, but only where their primary role is to provide incubator or accelerator programs, or are active in the ecosystem development.

An online application form will be available when the program opens. Organisations must complete and submit the application form and supporting documents by the closing date to be considered.

Read the Sector Development Grants funding guidelines (PDF, 193KB) for more information: https://desbt.qld.gov.au/training/future-skills-fund/social-enterprise-grants

If you have further questions, email programdesign@desbt.qld.gov.au.