The Australian Government is investing $11.6 million in the Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI).

This funding provides:

• $6 million in grant funding to build capability of social enterprises, delivered by Impact Investing Australia (IIA).

• $3 million to build capability in the social enterprise sector to grow social impact, delivered by Social Enterprise Australia.

• Additional funding to evaluate and administer the two programs.

Grants for social enterprises

SEDI grants help 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. Expressions of Interest for the grants administered by Impact Investing Australia have now closed. Social enterprises that have submitted an EoI and been invited to apply, have until 30 September to submit their application.

Building capability in the sector

As the SEDI Education and Mentoring Coordinator, Social Enterprise Australia is building capability in the social enterprise sector through whole-of-sector resources and support. This work includes:

• Commissioning learning communities for shared learning, support and collaboration - see a summary of learning communities and how to get involved here.

• Curating leading practice materials, tools, or training modules, or commissioning new ones where gaps exist

• Pointing to and bringing these elements together in one site online – Understorey – to help people navigate the sector

• Ensuring sector needs, ideas and input inform Understorey’s development. This will include rural and regional, First Nations, and culturally and linguistically marginalised voices.

Read more about SEDI on the Department of Social Services website.