A social enterprise is a business that puts people and planet first.
Social enterprises have many faces - a cafe that trains and employs former refugees, a super fund that only invests in things that are good for people and planet, a community-owned wind farm, or a provider of quality housing.
Social Enterprise Australia is the national peak body for social enterprise. We advocate for and connect the sector to unlock the impact of social enterprise.
We work with the sector to lead its national strategy. The strategy is challenge-led, focusing on priorities where social enterprise can help most. This includes environmental care, people-centred services, access to decent work, and community-led innovation.
We work with state and territory peak bodies. They advocate for and connect the sector in their areas.
They trade like any other business, but exist specifically to make the world a better place.
Make social enterprise business as usual
Australia faces social and environmental challenges that demand new responses.
The social enterprise sector can help.
Social enterprises use the power of business to test and scale new ways to make the world a better place. This makes them a critical tool for social and environmental innovation.
The Australian Government is already investing in parts of what's needed to unlock the impact of social enterprise. To build on this, three things are now needed to make social enterprise business as usual.
Meet Understorey.
It’s here to help social enterprises thrive and contribute to a better future.
Understorey is a new digital commons for the social enterprise sector: an online resource available to all, and shaped by all who choose to take part. It is a place to navigate the sector and to learn and exchange.
It brings together learning communities and leading practice resources as part of the Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) – an initiative of the Australian Government.
Understorey is a place for diverse input, ideas and voices - including marginalised voices. It hosts, points to, and integrates with a range of quality resources about social enterprise. It will change and grow over time as many hands shape it.
Social Enterprise Australia is the steward and coordinator of Understorey. It is funded by the Australian Government, Department of Social Services.
People and Planet First
There’s growing demand for businesses that put people and planet first. But it can be hard to tell the real thing from marketing hype.
To help change this, People and Planet First global verification has launched. It sets five clear and robust minimum standards. Verification against these is straightforward and affordable. It is governed by social enterprise sector partners around the world, to protect integrity.
No greenwashing. No social washing. No complication. Just businesses that put people and planet first.
Social enterprises take a range of legal forms. Until recently, Australia’s social enterprise peak bodies were not aligned on a consistent definition and lacked a broadly accessible way for organisations to know if they are a social enterprise.
We heard loud and clear from stakeholders that this situation needed to change.
Together with all the state and territory social enterprise peak bodies in Australia, Social Enterprise Australia endorsed the global standards to identify social enterprises.
This is because the global standards are:
Are clear and robust, which proactively builds understanding
Offer global alignment
Are owned and governed collectively by the Official Partner Network
Australian state and territory peak bodies are the local verification partners for People and Planet First.
Verification meets the following needs identified by stakeholders:
It is straightforward
The price is both affordable for social enterprises and sufficient to sustain the system
It is suitable for broad uptake and scaling
No single organisation is both the standards owner and verifier
The size and economic contribution of social enterprise in Australia
There are over 12,000 social enterprises in Australia.
They contribute $21.3 billion to the Australian economy each year and account for 1% of GDP.
They employ over 200,000 people; that's 1 in 60 jobs or 1.6% of the Australian workforce. This is about the same number of people as employed in arts and recreation services or the mining industry.