Social Enterprise Development Initiative
Overview
The Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) aims to help social enterprises be more efficient and effective in delivering social benefits to vulnerable Australians.
SEDI supported the social enterprise sector with funding for:
- grants of up to $120,000 for eligible social enterprises. They can use this to grow their business and increase their support for Australians experiencing disadvantage
- online capability building activities for the broader social enterprise sector. This will help build sector 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:
- Impact Investing Australia(Opens external website) (IIA), as the SEDI Capability Building Grants Administrator
- Social Enterprise Australia(Opens external website) (SEA), as the SEDI Education and Mentoring Coordinator.
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 280 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
Learn about the social enterprises already selected for a SEDI Capability Building Grant at SEDI grantees.
SEDI education and mentoring
The SEDI online education and mentoring activities are 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.
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
- 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).