Helping social enterprises to grow their impact

We are supporting social enterprises across Australia to grow their impact, strengthen communities and create opportunities for people facing disadvantage.

FoodLab is social enterprise based in Sydney that helps aspiring foodies turn their ideas into a reality. It’s one of 6 organisations to receive funding through the latest round of the Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) Capability Building Grants. Read the announcement(Opens in a new tab/window).

On 1 October 2026, Minister for Social Services, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, met with husband and wife Daniel and Tai Uepi, who have transformed their business, Lu Run, with support from FoodLab. The Minister helped the couple prepare some traditional dishes and drinks. She heard how FoodLab has helped them achieve their dream of becoming a well-known establishment in their community.

FoodLab has helped them grow an idea into a thriving Tongan and Pacific Island food business that now supplies drinks to stores across Sydney and operates its own food truck.

Since 2024, over $6.6 million has been given to more than 60 social enterprises across Australia, helping them to improve their capability, expand their services and support long-term growth.

The other 5 successful social enterprises include:

• RoboFit – a social enterprise providing integrated rehabilitation and employment to Australians with disability.
• Prepare Produce Provide – an organisation providing training and experience to Indigenous Youth in Western Australia helping create career pathways in education, food and hospitality.
• HoMie – a streetwear brand with profits going towards supporting young people affected by homelessness or hardship and developing employment training programs.
• Future Anything – an innovation program supporting teachers to help students build employability skills through their own youth-led social enterprises.
• Strait Experience – a Torres Strait Islander travel operator providing employment pathways to local Indigenous people to deliver cultural, arts and history tours.

Behind every grant is a story of people, purpose and positive change. Watch the videos about 4 social enterprises that have been supported through a SEDI Capability Building Grant, giving them access to business advice that helps them grow their impact.