Up to $25,000 is available from Social Enterprise Capability Voucher Stream to support Victorian social enterprises to build and develop their business capabilities.
Social Enterprise Capability Voucher Stream
The Social Enterprise Capability Voucher Stream is a key initiative aligned with the building business capacity and skills action area to support the viability, sustainability and growth of social enterprises.
Background
The Victorian Government’s Social Enterprise Strategy was released in 2017 and outlines how the Government will partner with the sector to provide support and strategic leadership. The Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy vision is that “Victoria’s inclusive growth is supported by thriving and sustainable social enterprises”.
The Strategy has three action areas:
- Increasing impact and innovation
- Building business capacity and skills
- Improving market access
The strategy identifies that social enterprise founders and managers in Victoria can benefit from developing business capabilities through accessing specialist assistance to resolve growth limiting issues and/or to take advantage of growth opportunities.
Objectives
The Social Enterprise Capability Voucher Stream’s long term outcomes are to:
- grow individual social enterprises in Victoria, assisting them to scale up their social, economic and environmental impact;
- assist individual social enterprises in Victoria to create new and extend existing opportunities for employment of disadvantaged Victorians;
- assist individual social enterprises in Victoria to create new and extend existing opportunities for employment of disadvantaged Victorians;
- further develop the pipeline of investable Victorian social enterprises.
Funding
Voucher of up to $25,000 towards an eligible business capability project under the following service types:
- business process & systems improvements
- business transformation
- financial management planning
- industry standards implementation & certification
- tender guidance.
Eligible Projects
The Social Enterprise Capability Voucher Stream will support capability development projects within individual Victorian social enterprises. Projects supported under the Stream will:
- lead to Organisational Efficiencies through implementation of new-to-the-firm business systems and processes that increase firm productivity; and/or
- increase New Market Development through identifying new market opportunities and developing workable plans to access those markets; and/or
- increase Financial Readiness, better equipping social enterprises to identify and manage investment and funding opportunities; and/or
- increase Contract Readiness, better equipping social enterprises to access government and corporate procurement opportunities.
Eligible Applicants
Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for assistance under the program:
- Are a social enterprise registered in Victoria with an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- Meet any co-contribution requirements with eligible cash expenditure
- Be a legal entity that the applicant can clearly evidence is a “social enterprise” or able to demonstrate a business model that is underpinned by an economic, social, cultural, or environmental mission consistent with a public or community benefit
- Meet all industrial relations obligations as an employer in accordance with the National Employment Standards
- Have an operating presence in Victoria and undertake the project in Victoria
- Conduct the majority of proposed project activities in Victoria in partnership with an approved Registered Service Provider
- Agree to participate in future program evaluation activity
Social Enterprises of any size are eligible for this program (no minimum or maximum employee numbers or turnover.)
NOTE: Commonwealth, State and Local Government agencies and bodies are not eligible to apply.
Timing
Applications close 2 March 2018.
More Information
- Source
- Guidelines
