Australian Social Enterprises

Green Connect Farm is a not-for-profit urban farm in Warrawong, NSW that grows organic food and provides employment, training, and work experience for young people and former refugees facing barriers to work.

Greenacres' purpose is to be an innovative pioneer in disability services, constantly adapting and evolving with the needs of the people who used our services, enabling people to live the life they imagine. Our social enterprises employ just over 200 people with disability in the following areas: warehouse operations - manufacture of a homewares range, packaging, assembly and labeling, as well as industrial sewing, metal shearing and production of sandbags, mainstream enterprises in a retail store in Shellharbour, 4 Cafes in the Wollongong area and at Shellharbour Airport, a catering kitchen based at Shellharbour Airport, Parks & Garden Maintenance, Labour Hire Crews, and a Cleaning Crew. We also have ecommerce for IMAGINE Homewares and Hampers our homewares brand made in Wollongong, which we retail online and also wholesale to stockists throughout Australia and for corporate gifting.

To create space for young people to grow. Through growing food and regenerating land, we offer engagement, training and employment opportunities to 12-24 year olds in a hands-on, project-based, supportive environment.

Grow your Mind is a mental health social venture. Our reason for being is to inspire, engage, and connect with schools and families to learn ways to be and stay mentally from a young age. Poor mental health doesn't discriminate and neither should mental health education. At Grow Your Mind we believe that mental health is not just the presence or absence of a diagnosable mental health condition, but something we all have and can all learn to look after. With 50% of all serious mental health conditions beginning before the age of 14, it is key to start teaching kids about their brains, emotions, and mental health from a young age. Prevention is easier than cure.

Tackling social inequality by increasing access to resources and opportunities for individuals and organisations that need it most.

MOOD is a certified social enterprise, selling award winning teas with 100% of profits funding youth mental health programs.

Divert Bicycles from landfill and give them a new life. Sell good quality redeployed bikes at affordable prices. Assist Bike Shops and Bike Share Operators with their waste management Distribute kids bikes to those who have no access to it via our Foundation

Professional development and accessible training resources for organisations that support youth with disability to prepare for employment.

ShoreTrack delivers mowing, rural fencing, firewood, metalwork, woodwork and practical project services while creating paid training and employment pathways for young people. Based in the Nambucca Valley, our work-integrated social enterprise supports young people who are disengaged from school, training, employment or community to build practical skills, confidence, workplace expectations and connections to local industry. Revenue from our services helps sustain hands-on learning, mentoring and supported pathways into further education, training and entry-level employment.

To bring people together, addressing the loneliness epidemic and mental health crisis, by connecting people through Natural Voice group singing. To give people across all ages & demographics a tool for self regulation and connection To fast track connection in order that we may unite and have meaningful conversation & action around the current societal and planetary "Big Issues".

Our objective is to provide assistance to any person in need regardless of creed, ethnic or social background, health, gender or political opinion. We achieve this through offering 'a hand up not a hand-out.'

To increase inclusion of people with disabilities in the community through easier to understand communication and employment of disabled people.

Think+DO Tank Foundation collaborates with low-income and marginalised, urban communities in NSW, focusing on culturally and linguistically diverse women and children. Together, we develop a shared way of doing things, designing projects that have a demonstrated and lasting impact. Our evidence-based, replicable approaches improve social cohesion; reduce isolation; strengthen community capacity; and foster equity. By using the arts, imagination and creativity and social enterprise to approach communities we shift the realms of possibility while we simultaneously address the pragmatic challenges of disadvantage which hinder change.

U Shape Us is a Canberra-based social enterprise creating simple imagination games that spark conversation, connection and a sense of belonging. We design tools that invite people to share memories, express ideas, and imagine new ways of connecting with others. Our games are used in schools, community programs, and with older people across Australia. Our work is grounded in the belief that when people are supported to share their inner worlds and be heard, they are more likely to feel valued, included, and connected. Through our two games, U Shape Us and Up To Us, we create spaces where people of all ages can participate, contribute ideas, and shape their own experiences of belonging.

Tackling gender-based violence through Emotional, Mental, and Physical Self-Defence. We run prevention and early intervention programs with universities, community groups, and workplaces to empower at individual, organisational, and community levels.

Our aim is to create generational prosperity for our employees and meaningful, sustainable work for those facing barriers to life and employment. We bridge the gap of opportunity by providing a workplace environment based around connection and community. Our focus is on employing and mentoring young people who face systemic disadvantages to reach their full potential, creating native garden spaces together, with community for community . We bring Country back to urban spaces by focusing on nature and biodiversity, emphasising softscapes, Indigenous plants, and building food forests.

WiSE Recycling Co. is a community recycling service that collects hard-to-recycle waste from households, schools, and local businesses; cleaning, sorting, and transforming it into meaningful products, while rewarding customers with exclusive offers from local brands and keeping waste out of landfill for good.

We build confidence, employability skills, entrepreneurship capability and strong mentor connections for meaningful pathways into employment and enterprise. YEP Careers delivers practical, real-world and strengths-based programs that equip people to discover careers aligned to their passions, strengths and the needs of local industries. We work with people of all ages, with strong experience working with young people and those who face complex barriers to employment, including people in the criminal justice system. Our mentoring approach provides steady guidance, industry insight and the kind of support that keeps participants engaged and moving forward, whether they choose business ownership or working for an organisation. We partner with all levels of government, industry and community organisations across regional NSW to deliver locally responsive programs that lead to meaningful, sustainable employment and enterprise outcomes.