Social Enterprise Network Tasmania

Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach us at mail@sentas.org.au if you have any further questions

What is a social enterprise?

A social enterprise is a business that puts people and planet first. They trade like any other business, but exist specifically to make the world a better place.

What is the size and economic contribution of social enterprise in Australia?

What social enterprise brings to Australia has been little known — until now. The Business for Good Report shows that the sector makes a significant contribution. It is estimated that there are over 12,000 social enterprises in Australia, contributing $21.3 billion to the Australian economy each year and accounting for 1% of GDP. They employ over 200,000 people; that's 1 in 60 jobs or 1.6% of the Australian workforce. This is about the same number of people as employed in arts and recreation services or the mining industry. Read the full report for more information.

What is People and Planet First?

There’s growing demand for businesses that put people and planet first. But it can be hard to tell the real thing from marketing hype.

To help change this, People and Planet First global verification has launched. It sets five clear and robust minimum standards. Verification against these is straightforward and affordable. It is governed by social enterprise sector partners around the world, to protect integrity.

No greenwashing. No social washing. No complication. Just businesses that put people and planet first.

Together with all the state and territory social enterprise peak bodies in Australia, SENTAS endorsed the global standards to identify social enterprises.

This is because the global standards are:

Are clear and robust, which proactively builds understanding
Offer global alignment
Are owned and governed collectively by the Official Partner Network

Australian state and territory peak bodies are the local verification partners for People and Planet First.

What is the Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI)?

The Australian Government is investing $11.6 million in the Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI).

This funding provides:

$6 million in grant funding to strengthen social enterprise capability
$3 million to target building capability for all actors in the social enterprise sector to grow social impact
Additional funding to evaluate and administer the two programs.

More details on SEDI can be read on the Department of Social Services website.

Mon	09:00 am – 04:00 pm
Tue	09:00 am – 04:00 pm
Wed	09:00 am – 04:00 pm
Thu	09:00 am – 04:00 pm
Fri	09:00 am – 04:00 pm
Sat	Closed
Sun	Closed

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