National strategy
Communities know what they need and are resourceful. Across Australia, they find ways to care for the planet, help each other, and work together to shape their futures.
Yet too many people still lack access to what they need, and the natural systems we all depend on are near breaking point. Business as usual cannot solve these challenges. We need more innovation and collaboration that puts people and the planet first.
Social enterprises have a distinct role to play. They use the power of business to test and scale new ways to drive the changes we need.
But many people don't know what social enterprise is or how to get involved. And we need better systems so more social enterprises can reach their potential.
Changing these things will unlock the power of social enterprise to help deliver the changes we need.
What this strategy is and how to use it
A social enterprise is a business that puts people and planet first. They trade like any other business, but exist specifically to make the world a better place.
They are part of the economy, the system of what and how we make, distribute and use goods and services. Within it, they are part of the social economy, where communities and the organisations they create make, distribute, and use goods and services to put people and planet first.
This is a strategy to unlock the power of social enterprise, together. It is focused on key areas where social enterprise can drive the most impact. And it is ecosystem-owned, so that the efforts and energy of diverse people and organisations can align to make big change possible.
It is not an organisational strategy with a high degree of control and detail. It is a sector strategy, owned and delivered by many. It focuses on high-level alignment and ongoing coordination to maximise and deliver shared impact. This means it sets direction rather than prescribing detail, by design, so that many different people and organisations can find their place in it.
This strategy was co-designed by hundreds of people from the social enterprise ecosystem, many with lived experience, between October 2025 and April 2026. The process involved six workshops, two surveys, and a member vote.
It will be launched in full in June this year.
This strategy is owned and delivered by Australia's social enterprise ecosystem and is coordinated by Social Enterprise Australia.
The strategy
How to get involved
This strategy will only work if many and diverse people and organisations drive it. People can contribute in their own ways, and there are many coordinated ways to get involved. These will evolve as we test them and learn.
We just completed a six-month co-design process of the national strategy.
Find out how to get involved when the national strategy goes live in June.
Our Members sit at the heart of this work. They co-design and take action on key parts of the strategy.