Australian Social Enterprises

Kulai Pre-School Aboriginal Corporation is an Indigenous-led organisation providing early childhood education services in NSW, supporting the development and cultural identity of young Aboriginal children. The organisation aims to deliver social impact through its pre-school programs. It focuses on early childhood education and cultural preservation for Aboriginal children.

Newara Aboriginal Corporation is an Indigenous not‑for‑profit organisation based in New South Wales that works to improve social and economic outcomes for Aboriginal people and communities through culturally appropriate services and programs. The corporation strives to empower Indigenous individuals and families by fostering education, health, employment, and cultural wellbeing.

Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre Aboriginal Corporation is an Indigenous organisation dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and sharing of Aboriginal knowledge and cultural heritage. Its core social impact lies in strengthening cultural identity, facilitating intergenerational knowledge transfer, and supporting the self-determination of Indigenous communities. This organisation plays a vital role in preserving Indigenous culture and promoting community development.

Ballina Shire Council is located in the Northern Rivers of the Far North Coast of New South Wales. It covers an area of 485 km² with a population of approximately 41,000 (2011 Census). We have a prosperous economy based on building, retail, tourism, hospitality, agriculture and education. Our services and facilities include numerous open spaces, two public swimming pools, three libraries, a number of community spaces, a community art gallery, and a regional airport providing numerous daily jet services between Sydney, Melbourne and Newcastle. Working with a regional community that is progressive, innovative and creative, our Council strategies and services are designed to deliver an outstanding lifestyle for our residents, workers and visitors. We are also mindful that as we are in one of the fastest growing regions in Australia we need to protect what we have now while planning for the future.

Gumnut Place was established in 1986 by a group of families/friends of people with disabilities. Our business includes provision of 5 business units:A wood workshop which manufactures heat treated hardwood/pine pallets suitable for export, blasting and survey pegs. A commercial kitchen supplying daily deliveries of cakes, slices, biscuits to a local supermarket and catering for meetings, forums and private catering. A commercial laundry with long standing contracts to launder work wear for the local mine as well as other weekly washing/ironing orders for domestic and local businesses. A Trophy, Engraving & Badge-Making Service supplying an extensive range of trophies, medallions, shields, awards, commemorative plaques and personalised engraving on almost any surface. A Secure Document Destruction Service for local businesses with pick up and delivery. Gumnut Place provide numerous high quality products through our many business units that ultimately meet the needs of our local community. We also provide community inclusion, skills development and career progression opportunities for a high number of paid/volunteer employees with disabilities. Gumnut Place provides a happy and productive work environment for Supported Employees to reach their full potential through skills development, training and career progression. We provide an avenue for Supported Employees to build long lasting friendships with work colleagues and gain a feeling of ownership and pride in the quality products they produce.

The Bridge Inc. is a not-for-profit disability services provider located in the south-eastern and Northern suburbs of Melbourne. We’ve been helping people with disabilities develop key life skills for over 50 years. We offer job placement services, supported employment opportunities, learning in life skills, support to participate in social and leisure activities in the community. The Bridge Works is the warehousing and manufacturing service for The Bridge Employment. We provide meaningful employment for people with disabilities who require support to work. We assist with a range of business services, including labour hire, logistics support, manufacturing and e-fulfilment services. This service is useful for manufacturers experiencing space limitations; and wholesalers & importers requiring rework of products. The Bridge Works is part of The Bridge Employment which is a not–for-profit employment service provider delivering a comprehensive range of employment solutions to employers and jobseekers across South-East Melbourne. The Bridge Works provides warehouse solutions and commercial cleaning services to businesses through a supported employment enterprise. We match our supported employee's skills to the requirements of the jobs we have available, offering ongoing individualised training and guidance to complete tasks. Each employee is trained in Occupational Health and Safety Awareness, then specialised training is provided to gain new workplace skills. Our focus is on assisting people with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds to maintain their employment, achieve goals and realise their full potential. We strive to ensure that each person achieves their own individual employment outcome.

Good Sammy Enterprises is a for-purpose organisation focused on creating employment opportunities for Western Australians with disability. We’ve been around since 1958 and, as a registered NDIS provider, we deliver quality personalised services that help achieve individualised outcomes. Good Sammy has a workforce of more than 800 people, with over 50% identifying as having disability. We reduce waste and help the environment by recycling almost 7 million kilos of used goods each year and as an official collection organisation for the Containers for Change program. Our op shops are the public face of our organisation and allow employees to explore opportunities in the retail industry, as well as supply chain operations and logistics. Our business services provide warehousing and logistics, packaging and assembly, and gardening services to the WA business community, while providing employment in a safe and structured environment. We work with business and government, providing social procurement opportunities that deliver on social and economic outcomes. Good Sammy’s Training Academy also provides structured learning and work experience opportunities through our contemporary programs and nationally recognised certifications, helping participants to build skills and confidence to progress into open employment. Good Sammy is an iconic Western Australian charity and a leading provider of employment and training opportunities for people with disability. For more than sixty years, Good Sammy has been supporting people with disability through meaningful social and economic participation. Good Sammy helps people with disability build confidence, skills and expand job opportunities. We offer a range of disability employment services to support people with disability as they achieve personal employment goals. Our services include:- Job opportunities at Good Sammy- Academy training programs- Certified traineeships- Employment support services - Work experience with us or one of our employer partners- Pathways to Open employment Good Sammy ensures employees are supported by a dedicated team, who help map personal plans to set employees up for success.

Outlook Australia is a non-profit social enterprise committed to creating an inclusive society for all. Through two distinct but connected divisions - Social Enterprise and Community Services, Outlook creates opportunities for people with disability and people experiencing other forms of social disadvantage to develop work and life skills. Outlook Australia operates Australia's largest waste management social enterprise. Through the operation of recycling centre, transfer stations, landfills and reuse shops across Australia, Outlook creates opportunities for individuals and communities to thrive. Outlook social enterprise currently operates waste management and recycling centres across Queensland and Victoria, with supported employees and priority workers making up over 70% of the workforce. Outlook Community Centre is located in Pakenham, VIc and offers a wide range programs, workshops and educational opportunities for the community in addition to extensive room hire options. Outlook is also a registered NDIS provider, delivering 1:1 and group based services and supports including high quality high intensity support in Victoria and New South Wales. Outlook is committed to creating 'An Inclusive Society for All' by creating opportunities for people with disability and people experiencing other forms of social disadvantage to thrive in life and work. This is Outlook's fair pay commitment: All employees at Outlook Australia, including supported employees, are paid 100% of the rates outlined in the award or EBA that they are employed under - including supported employees. Supported employees are NOT paid an apportioned wage at Outlook.

Greenacres is one of the largest disability service providers in the Illawarra. For over 70 years, we have been committed to enabling people with a disability to achieve their dreams. Our Social Enterprises teams are highly experienced in Light Manufacturing, Assembly, Industrial Sewing, Sandbag Production, Packing, Labelling, Rework, Shrink Wrapping and Metal Sheering. We have a fleet of trucks and run a daily service throughout Sydney and the Illawarra. Our own brand of Australian-made homewares and hampers are excellent for corporate and employee gifts. We operate a retail store and markets in Wollongong, and sell wholesale to various stockists, in addition to offering a white label service. We also operate three Cafes and a Catering division serving culinary delights for meetings and staff training days throughout the Illawarra. Our Labour Hire crews work at your location and come with a Supervisor to oversee all works. We currently provide Garden & Property Maintenance, Cleaning & Scaffolding Crews. Greenacres proudly supports over 500 people with disability. Greenacres Disability Services plays a pivotal role in our community by empowering individuals with disabilities to lead fulfilling lives. We offer employment opportunities, skill development, and social inclusion programs for over 500 participants, enabling them to integrate into society, contribute meaningfully, and gain independence. By breaking down barriers, promoting inclusivity, and advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities, we foster a more just and accepting community. Moreover, through our social enterprise initiatives, we create jobs, operate cafes, and produce locally sourced products, contributing to economic growth and showcasing the talents of individuals with disabilities. In essence, Greenacres enhances the fabric of our community through empowerment, advocacy, and economic participation. Our organisation significantly benefits supported employees and their families by providing stable employment, skill development, and a supportive environment. We offer employment opportunities for people with disabilities, allowing them to create their own positive future and transform their ideas and goals into experiences and achievements. Employees gain not only income but also a sense of purpose, self-esteem, and independence. Families witness their loved ones flourish, fostering pride and peace of mind. Additionally, our programs promote social connections, enhancing the overall well-being of both employees and their families. Through our advocacy efforts and community integration, we help reduce stigma and misconceptions about disabilities, creating a more inclusive and accepting society that benefits everyone involved. Ultimately, Greenacres Disability Services empowers individuals and strengthens family bonds while fostering a more inclusive community.

Workpower is based in Perth and provides a varied range of products and services within our social enterprises across Western Australia providing employment and training opportunities for people with disability Workpower operates a diverse group of commercial businesses that employ people with disability who work alongside industry professionals. Some of our businesses include environmental services, property services, fire equipment testing, electrical test & tag, packaging & warehousing and recycling. Workpower’s diverse range of enterprises provide a vehicle to develop a positive public profile for people with disability and give the community better understanding of the impact of disability. Having businesses that work in the community is one of the most effective ways to show that people with disability can make a valued contribution to the everyday life of the community. Each year Workpower assists over 1,000 people with disability and/or mental illness to secure and maintain employment in its own commercial businesses or with community employers. The benefits to our employees and their families extend beyond just earning an income, for example our integrated business model facilitates an environment of self-help and self-reliance which supports the development of natural networks and relationships around shared interests.

Intelife is a social enterprise dedicated to empowering people with disabilities; enabling them to lead fulfilling lives. We are committed to offering innovative solutions for job opportunities and supporting pathways to open employment, fostering a sense of belonging, enabling independence. Intelife supports people living with intellectual disabilities to live a life of purpose, enjoyment and independence. We offer a variety of services that support foundational skill development for independent living and community inclusion, including personal development, skills training, employment pathways, and independent living skills. Intelife provides supported employees with meaningful work, skill development, and opportunities for independence. Through tailored training, workplace support, and real-world experience, we empower individuals to build confidence, achieve personal goals, and contribute to their communities. For families, this brings peace of mind knowing their loved ones are in a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where they can grow and thrive. Through fostering independence and connection, Intelife Work also improves the overall well-being of Supported Employees, ensuring lasting benefits for both individuals and their families.

GOODWILL ENGINEERING is a unique business specialising in a wide range of building hardware that services both housing and commercial construction. With over 50 years of experience in the building industry we provide quality products to the community. Goodwill Engineering is located in Malaga WA. CONTAINERS FOR CHANGE is a recycling scheme out to reduce the amount of drink containers that end up as landfill. We have two sites across the Perth Metropolitan area located in Midvale and Bibra Lake. Ability WA has been providing services for people living with disability for over 70 years, giving us the experience and expertise to assist people of all ages with a broad range of support needs. Fully NDIS registered, we are one of the few providers with a comprehensive range of services – therapy, accommodation, equipment, support and employment services – and teams that can work across these services. We provide services across the Perth metropolitan area. We can provide therapy services in a home, community or school location or alternatively, you can choose to come to one of our Ability WA hubs in Currambine, Coolbinia or Canning Vale or use our teletherapy service. Our in-home support services and Opportunities program can be delivered in your home, anywhere in the Perth metropolitan area. Our services include finding and keeping a job, supports in employment, customised employment, Disability Employment Services and school leaver employment supports. Our focus is to empower people with disability to achieve their employment goals and aspirations by providing opportunities for work, work experience, training and skill development in professional environments across a range of workplace settings. We endorse the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Disability Employment Service (DES) expectation of inclusive workplaces that offer practical and productive environments with access to career pathways.

As the largest and most experienced not-for-profit intellectual disability service provider in South Australia, we support you to achieve all the things you want in life, bridging the gap between what you can do, and what you want to do. We help you create your version of success and happiness in many ways. We offer services in housing accommodation, home and living supports, short-term and medium-term accommodation, allied health, day options programs, children’s and youth services, supported employment and training possibilities. We’re focussed on building lifelong relationships, where we take-away, or lessen, many of the barriers that stand in your way of living the life you want and achieving the things that are important to you. We are the largest not-for-profit disability service provider and employer in SA, providing advocacy, support and services to enable people living with an intellectual disability to live their best lives. All of our programs and services are provided by highly-skilled staff consisting of disability support workers, health professionals, administrators and volunteers. They are guided by our values of Respect, Heart, Opportunity and Community. As one of the largest employers in South Australia – with close to 1,630 staff members, including supported employees – we have a range of commercial enterprises offering supported employment opportunities in a range of fields. We give supported employees the opportunity to experience work in environments that are nurtuting and respectful. One of our major commitments is to create opportunities for people with a disability and offer a range of job opportunities.

Marriott Support Services is an inclusive community where people thrive by living life on their terms with purpose and dignity. We are a Not-for-Profit registered NDIS provider that operates two Social Enterprises:Enviro Management Services(Specialist Mowing/Tractors/Slashing/Roadside edging, Natural Resource Management, Weed Control, Spraying, General Grounds and Garden Maintenance) Marriott Industries (Food Packaging, General Packaging and Labelling, Warehouse and 3PL Services and Light Assembly. Our mission is to empower and enhance the lives of people living with a disability in a way that enables them to live their life to its fullest potential. We undertake our work with compassion, leading the way with our values of Safety, Integrity, Respect and Accountability. We focus on ability, 'what people can do’. We strive to become the partner of choice in supporting our people to shape their own lives. We support each individual’s journey to identify, develop and attain their life goals – large and small, within a professional and peer supported setting. Our community services are a progressive and individualised way of partnering with you and your family to build an independent life. We will support you to take your capacity to another level on life skills such as decision making, self-management & future pathways. Building your confidence through social skills and friendships with community inclusion opportunities. At Marriott we provide employment options for NDIS participants, tailored to an individual needs. We are committed to providing long term supported employment opportunities for people with disabilities and are proud to assist people to gain and maintain independence. Marriot is one of Melbourne’s leading suppliers of disability employment, assisting people to succeed through- on the job training and career progression options via our social enterprises business Industries, fresh start, and enviro management. With a person-centred approach to support, we are assisting maintaining employment and developing interpersonal and work-based skills through participation in real, meaningful jobs in supportive work locations. We’re experienced in providing opportunities for people with a range of abilities to have a connected and independent life. Our employees are supported to achieve their employment goals and are given opportunities to work in different roles which interest them. We focus on the different abilities of individuals and believe everyone has the skills to contribute.

As a not-for-profit community organisation, Achieve Australia has provided services and support with integrity, commitment and passion since 1952 for people with a disability to achieve a life that is meaningful and valued. We do this by facilitating the learning and maintenance of life and work skills, the development of relationships, the ability to make life choices and participation in community activities. Achieve Australia’s My Career services create opportunities for people with disability to learn, succeed, earn income and feel fulfilled through having a satisfying career and meaningful work. Paid employment facilitates independence, self-respect and opportunities to become fully contributing members of the community. It also enables My Career customers, volunteers, and the community in general to learn how people with disability are contributing to business and society through their skills and productivity, and financial independence. Achieve Australia’s My Career services benefit supported employees and their families by:• Equipping people with skills, confidence and qualifications• Helping to identify career and skill development options• Providing training and work experience opportunities• Offering travel training• Providing guidance on writing an impressive resume• Conducting training on successful recruitment interview techniques My Career provides workers with the individual supports and services they require so they can focus on their skill development, roles in the workplace, and enjoyment of a productive team environment.

The Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre is an Aboriginal Corporation based in Western Australia, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Aboriginal law and culture. Its mission involves maintaining cultural heritage and strengthening Indigenous communities in the Kimberley region. This work contributes to the preservation of Indigenous culture and supports community development.

ASTERIA is a proud diverse organisation, offering tailored disability support and commercial services to the residents of central Victoria, with operations based in Maryborough and Bendigo.ASTERIA provides a comprehensive range of services, including individual and programs of support, in-home and community-based assistance, respite and accommodation services, support coordination as well as children and youth support. Our supported employment program underpins our commercial services, which are available to the community and local businesses.At ASTERIA, we are dedicated to removing barriers, creating opportunities, and empowering individuals to make their own choices. Through inclusive services and employment programs, we strengthen community connections and promote social participation, helping individuals thrive while contributing to a more equitable and supportive society. ASTERIA’s supported employment program empowers individuals with disabilities by providing meaningful work opportunities in a safe, inclusive environment. Employees gain practical job skills, soft skills like communication and teamwork, and health and safety knowledge through tailored training. This fosters independence, confidence, and career growth. Families benefit from the stability and sense of purpose these roles provide, knowing their loved ones are supported and valued.

The National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy is an Aboriginal Corporation that aims to empower Aboriginal individuals through engagement in sports and education. The organisation likely offers sporting opportunities and development programs to achieve its mission. By doing so, it contributes to the social and economic development of Aboriginal communities.

Waverley Social Enterprises delivers high-quality packing, assembly, catering and grounds maintenance services. As a profit-for-purpose social enterprise, every job we do creates meaningful employment for over 380 people with disability, helping businesses achieve great outcomes while making a genuine social impact. Waverley Social Enterprises strengthens the community by creating meaningful, paid employment for over 380 people with disability. Through inclusive workplaces and real job opportunities, we build skills, confidence and independence while fostering connection and belonging. As a profit-for-purpose social enterprise, every service we deliver reinvests back into jobs, training and support, helping reduce barriers to employment and creating lasting social and economic benefits for individuals, families and the wider community. Waverley Social Enterprises supports employees and their families by providing safe, meaningful work built on four pillars: Friendship, Joy, Belonging and Learning. Our workplaces foster genuine friendships and a sense of community where people feel valued and included. Meaningful employment brings pride, routine and financial independence, easing pressure on families. Through ongoing learning and skill development, employees build confidence and capability, creating positive outcomes at work, at home and in the wider community.

The Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages (VACL) is an Indigenous corporation dedicated to the preservation, revitalisation, and promotion of Aboriginal languages across Victoria. Its primary social impact is strengthening Indigenous cultural heritage and identity through its linguistic work.