Social Enterprise Strategy
The Victorian social enterprise sector is recognised as the largest and most dynamic in Australia.
What is a social enterprise?
Social enterprises are businesses that:
- are led by an economic, social, cultural, or environmental mission consistent with a public or community benefit
- derive a substantial portion of their income from trade
- reinvest the majority of their profit/surplus in the fulfilment of their mission.
Source: Finding Australia’s Social Enterprise Sector Report 2016
Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy 2021-2025
The Victorian Government launched Australia’s first Social Enterprise Strategy in 2017.
Building on the strong foundation of the first strategy, the Social Enterprise Strategy 2021-2025 aims to grow the social enterprise sector, strengthen its connectivity, and unlock the potential to create more jobs and deliver enhanced economic and social value to the Victorian community.
Social enterprises make a valuable impact on the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of all Victorians, and the Strategy will enable them to continue supporting Victorian communities, especially focusing on people with barriers to inclusion, such as young people, women, Aboriginal Victorians, and people with disabilities.
A range of actions in the Strategy will be delivered across four key thematic areas:
- Building business skills and capability and capturing impact
- Enhancing recognition and access to innovative financing to scale impact
- Fostering a connected and innovative social enterprise ecosystem across Victoria
- Opening doors for social enterprises across government.
Implementing these themes and supporting actions will enhance the capability of social enterprises and provide greater opportunities for them to contribute to a more socially and economically inclusive Victoria.
Download the Strategy:
- Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy 2021 - 2025 DJPR-Victorian-Social-Enterprise-Strategy.pdf (PDF 5614.13 KB)
- Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy 2021 - 2025 (accessible version) DJPR-Victorian-Social-Enterprise-Strategy-accessible-version.docx (DOCX 58.69 KB)
Download the Strategy Overview:
- Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy - Overview DJPR-Victorian-Social-Enterprise-Overview.pdf (PDF 141.91 KB)
- Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy - Overview (accessible version) DJPR-Victorian-Social-Enterprise-Overview-accessible-version.docx (DOCX 18.76 KB)
Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy 2021-2025: Strategy Introduction
This video introduces the Strategy, its four key themes and how it supports the long-term success of Victoria’s social enterprise sector.
Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy 2021-2025: Strategy Introduction
View video transcript
Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy 2021-2025: Strategy Introduction
Slide: The Victorian Government acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present
Slide: Victoria State Government - Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy 2021-2025
Amber O’Connell, Manager Social Procurement and Enterprise DJPR
Victoria is home to an incredibly diverse social enterprise sector operating across a range of industries.
Vision: Aerial view over Melbourne city
Text: 3,500 social enterprises across Victoria. 60,000 jobs created by Victorian social enterprises (1.8%) of the Victorian workforce. $5.2 billion in economic impact
The sector has a mix of solo entrepreneurs through to established organisations employing hundreds of people.
Vision: Aerial view people walking through park, and crossing roadway in the city and walking on footpath
But all of these enterprises share a common vision, to service, benefit and strengthen their communities.
Vision: View of the Yarra Building and lady speaking on phone, working in factory and lady serving customer at markets
Through their unique business models social enterprises are delivering innovative solutions to some of our most complex challenges.
Vision: View of graffiti in laneway, people queuing to shop locally, lady and man working in offices and factory
Social enterprises can provide meaningful jobs and pathway to employment for people facing considerable barriers to work.
Vision: View of Flinders Station, dancers performing and computers in shop
But just as importantly they deliver significant social, cultural and environmental benefits to Victoria.
Vision: View looking up through trees and clock
Text: Innovative governments, around the world, are partnering with social enterprises, not only for their clear social, environmental and cultural benefits, but for their strong economic contribution
Innovative governments around the world are partnering with social enterprises, not only for their clear social benefits, but for their strong economic contribution.
David Clements, Deputy Secretary Employment & Inclusion DJPR
That’s why in 2017 the Victorian Government launched Australia’s first social enterprise strategy to support social enterprises to do their best.
Vision: Aerial view of sunset, packages stored in factory and staff working, man working in factory and staff packing fruit into boxes
The social enterprise strategy for 2021-25 renews government’s commitment to the sector and sets an ambitious four year agenda to better enable social enterprises to thrive.
The strategy aims to create more opportunities for these diverse enterprises.
Vision: Aerial view over city and out to sea
Text: Theme 1: Building business skills and capability and capturing impact. Theme 2: Enhancing recognition and access to innovative financing to scale impact. Theme 3: Fostering a connected and innovative social enterprise ecosystem across Victoria. Theme 4: Opening doors for social enterprises across government
It’s got four key themes and 14 action areas which when taken together will drive sector growth and opportunity through building skills and capability, unlocking capital, creating new opportunities for social enterprises to sell their goods and services, building a coordinated ecosystem across Victoria, and transforming the way government partners with, and does business with, social enterprises.
Amber O’Connell, Manager Social Procurement and Enterprise DJPR
Text: Creating greater opportunity inclusion & impact
A strategic plan to support social enterprise is another way the Victorian Government is creating greater opportunity, inclusion and impact.
Slide: Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy 2021-2025
[Victoria State Government. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne]
Social Enterprise Network Victoria (SENVIC)
The Victorian Social Enterprise Network (SENVIC) was established in 2018 as a key initiative of the first Strategy. This independent state-wide network connects social enterprises across Victoria, provides access to learning and development opportunities, and facilitates engagement with government, intermediaries and each other. The Victorian Government recognises the benefits state-wide coordination plays in strengthening the sector and has provided funding to stimulate knowledge creation, collaboration and innovation.
Learn more on the SENVIC website.
Social Traders
Social Traders is an established intermediary and social enterprise procurement specialist. Social Traders provides certification of social enterprises and connections to business and government buyers, to grow the social enterprise marketplace. Victorian certified social enterprises are featured on the Social Traders public directory (Social Enterprise Finder), making it easy to find and buy from genuine social enterprises.
Learn more on the Social Traders website.
Social Procurement Framework
The Social Procurement Framework was launched in 2018 and is a key initiative established from the first Social Enterprise Strategy. The Framework enables departments and agencies to deliver greater benefits from their procurement spend and has increased opportunities for social enterprises to supply goods and services to government.
To find out more, and see some examples of social procurement in action, please visit Buying Victoria: Social procurement - Victorian Government approach.
Purpose Precinct
The Purpose Precinct at the Queen Victoria Market is Australia’s first dedicated social enterprise precinct, with space for more than 100 social enterprises to sell their products, alongside an innovative kitchen space, supported employment pathways and networking opportunities.
Learn more on the Purpose Precinct website.
SEEDkit
SEEDkit is an innovative new platform for social enterprises to track and measure their impact, backed by the Victorian Government and run by the Centre of Social Impact at Swinburne University and the Melbourne Social Equity Institute.
Learn more on the SEEDKit website.
Page last updated: 5 June 2026