Who We Are
At Social Enterprise Hubs Australia, our mission is to support the development of the social enterprise sector in Australia. We accelerate the growth of social enterprises by providing them with access to resources that would not otherwise be available or affordable, including mentoring, consulting, pro bono services, management tools and business skills.
Our History
Our first social enterprise Hub was established in 2006 in Brisbane through a partnership between SVA, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Brisbane City Council. Seven enterprises are currently supported by the Brisbane Hub Accelerator Program including garden maintenance, pest control, catering, cleaning and creative arts enterprises. We are currently looking to replicate the model in new local areas and are in discussions with several local governments across Australia to set up new Hubs.
Our second Hub launched in Parramatta in September 2007. The Parramatta Hub was established through a partnership between SVA, Parramatta City Council and the Allco Foundation.
Our Partnership Model
Social Enterprise Hubs Australia aims to engage all sectors of the community with social enterprises. Our Hubs are typically established in a partnership between corporate partners, local government and Social Ventures Australia (SVA). Each partner contributes funding to the Hub, as well as providing guidance in the setting the Hubs strategic direction.
Our Partners
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Success Stories
Example: Sustainable Gardening Service
SGS is a social enterprise that provides gardening design, gardening maintenance and landscape services across inner and southern Brisbane. SGS employs and train migrant/refugees and long-term unemployed people and currently have 7 staff. Since joining the Brisbane Hub in 2006, SGS has been able to access:
- Pro-bono legal advice: Leading law firm, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, has assisted with the transition of SGS from a sole proprietor to a company limited by guarantee
- New customers: The Hubs partnership with Brisbane City Council has allowed SGS to have the Council as one of their customers for 2 inner city parks. This contract has the capacity to grow with the enterprise’s capacity.
As a result, revenue has increased by more than 10% with a transition from 65% to 100% of income generated from sales (as opposed to 35% coming from grants). This increase in income and stability has meant that SGS has been able to increase the number of employees working for the enterprise.
