Social Enterprise Development Initiative

The Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) helps deliver social benefits to vulnerable Australians.

Overview

The Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) aims to help social enterprises be more efficient and effective in delivering social benefits to vulnerable people.

SEDI has provided support through:

  • grants of up to $120,000 for eligible social enterprises to grow and help more people facing disadvantage
  • funding for online activities to help the wider social enterprise sector build knowledge and skills.

SEDI was announced in the 2023–24 budget as part of the Targeting Entrenched Disadvantage package. This committed $11.6 million to support the growth of the social enterprise sector in Australia.

Creating SEDI

In 2023, we worked with Social Enterprise Australia (SEA) to gather ideas from the sector to help design the SEDI. SEA engaged with the sector through workshops and surveys. 

Read the summary of the views SEA collected(Opens external website)

SEDI also drew on the success of the Sector Readiness Fund(Opens external website). The $8 million fund ran from 2018 to 2023. It provided grants to social enterprises to build their ability to attract investment and increase their impacts.

How SEDI works

SEDI provides capability building to the social enterprise sector in 2 ways:

  • grants to support individual social enterprises
  • funding for sector-wide education and learning.

We partnered with 2 organisations to deliver SEDI: 

Working with these organisations has allowed us to be flexible and creative in developing SEDI. It also helps embed SEDI in the sector.

SEDI grants 

We selected IIA to be the SEDI Grants Administrator following an open, competitive grant round.

IIA has run 8 competitive grant rounds to select social enterprises for capability building grants of up to $120,000 each. 

Applications for a SEDI Capability Building Grant closed on 30 September 2025. 

IIA received more than 900 expressions of interest and more than 400 applications. There was strong representation from First Nations, rural and regional social enterprises. 

SEDI grantees can use grant funds to buy capability-building supports, such as: 

  • business planning
  • financial management
  • contract negotiation
  • legal support
  • outcomes measurement and evaluation
  • help to access finance such as investment loans or grants. 

All SEDI grantees will finish their grant activities by the end of the SEDI program in June 2026.

Visit  IIA(Opens external website) for more information.

SEDI grantees

View the social enterprises already selected for a SEDI Capability Building Grant.

SEDI education and mentoring 

The SEDI education and mentoring activities are online and available to the whole sector. They complement the individualised support provided by SEDI Capability Building Grants.

SEA is the SEDI Education and Mentoring Coordinator. It is the Australian social enterprise peak body and grew out of the sector. SEA’s mission aligned with the goals of the SEDI Education and Mentoring activity. The partnership means the sector has a voice in SEDI.

Understorey

SEA has developed an online resource hub called Understorey. The website provides information, education and connection for the sector. It is available to all and will change and grow over time as participants give us feedback.

Understorey hosts online learning and peer mentoring communities. Learnings will be shared on the site for all to access.

It also hosts leading practice resources, tools, training modules. New materials will be commissioned where gaps are found. 

Working with the sector 

We encourage anyone in the sector to reach out to SEA with any ideas or feedback on Understory. Let us know what content and support you would like it to provide. Please email hello@socialenterpriseaustralia.org.au.

To find out more about getting involved visit  SEA(Opens external website).

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