Sefa expands its presence in Queensland

Sefa expands its Queensland presence with deeper regional focus 

We are strengthening our presence in Queensland, with four team members now based in the state and plans to grow that number to five over the next year. The expansion reflects growing demand and a long-term commitment to backing impact-led organisations, particularly in rural and regional communities where access to the right support and finance can be harder to secure. 

For us, Queensland is a priority not only because of its size, but because of the strength of the organisations working across its cities, regions and rural communities. Many are responding to entrenched disadvantage with deep local knowledge and strong community connection. Our role is to work alongside those organisations with practical support and finance that fits their stage, context and ambitions. 
 
That is also where we stand apart. Rather than offering capital on its own, or capability building as a separate service, we work at the intersection of both. In Queensland, that approach is being shaped by a growing local team, the success of the Backing the Bold pilot, and a model that keeps our team close to the communities they support. 

Growing a stronger local presence 

In Queensland, our growth is grounded in the believe that effective support starts with understanding the local context. That means having people on the ground who can build trusted relationships, respond to local opportunities and stay close to the realities organisations are navigating.  

There are currently four team members based in Queensland, working across  engagement, capability building, impact-led growth and impact investment. Over the next year, that team is expected to grow to five, strengthening our ability to support more organisations and deepen partnerships across the state. 

For a state as large and varied as Queensland, we know that local presence matters. Organisations in regional and rural communities often face very different conditions from those in metropolitan areas, including distance, service gaps and, of course, limited access to suitable finance. 

Taking Backing the Bold from a Queensland pilot to national rollout 

A key part of our Queensland story has been the success of Backing the Bold. First piloted in Queensland, the program proved so effective that it became the blueprint for national expansion. 

Delivered by Sefa Partnerships and Sefa, Backing the Bold is designed to support impact-led organisations through practical capability support and access to flexible loan finance. With support from philanthropic partner Hand Heart Pocket, the Queensland pilot showed the value of bringing those elements together rather than treating them as separate stages. 

Participating organisations receive up to six months of tailored support, alongside the potential for loan finance ranging from $50,000 to $200,000. The program helped organisations strengthen financial foundations, refine their business models and prepare for growth with greater confidence. 

The pilot reinforced the hypothesis that continues to underpin our work, that many organisations need more than finance alone, and more than advice in isolation. They need the two to work together in a way that reflects their reality. 

“What I love about the way this next Queensland chapter is unfolding is that it started with listening. Since 2012 we've deployed $13 million to Queensland impact-led organisations, most of them based in regional communities, women-led or First Nations-led. That's the outcome of a team that spends time in place and builds relationships that last. Backing the Bold grew from that groundwork. This next phase is a continuation of the same commitment. Fifteen years in, we're still learning that proximity matters.” - Hanna Ebeling, CEO of Sefa.

A regional model built around place 

Our focus in Queensland is firmly on rural and regional impact-led organisations.  While many providers concentrate their efforts in major cities, we have built our approach around the communities that are often furthest from mainstream capital and support. Currently, 62% of Sefa's capability building clients in Queensland are based in regional and rural areas, and 58% of the capital we have deployed in Queensland is to regional and rural areas organisations. 

The Sefa Queensland team dedicates regular time to working ‘in place’ in regional and rural areas. This allows the team to build stronger relationships, understand local pressures first-hand and offer support that is grounded in context. Being there in person means we can offer support that is more practical, more relevant and more likely to help organisations build lasting resilience. 

Brisbane as a base 

We've chosen Spaces in the Brisbane CBD as our central hub in Queensland. The hub provides a practical base for meetings, planning and coordination, and supports engagement with government, philanthropic partners and others across the impact economy. 

Its purpose, however, is to support statewide work rather than centre it in Brisbane. The hub gives the team a stable base while allowing it to stay mobile and responsive across the state. 

“So much of the impact that organisations create is rooted in deep community and in the place where they operate. Impact-led organisations thrive when they are deeply connected, and this is especially true across rural and regional communities.  

For us at Sefa, as we seek to support these organisations to do more good, we need to meet organisations where they are, and having our team here on the ground in Brisbane and connecting across the state is central to that.  

The value of face-to-face connection, in building trust and honest relationships is huge when navigating capital and investment readiness. That’s exactly what we see with Backing the Bold, when you couple that local trust with the right mix of capability and flexible finance, you unlock the confidence these enterprises need to bridge the gap and scale their impact.” - Joel Bird, Senior Manager, Impact and Advisory at Sefa. 

If you're driving impact across Queensland, we're here and ready to chat! Get in touch now.