Sefa backs more bold entrepreneurs

Following a highly successful start creating impact for Queenslanders, Backing the Bold is expanding to create social impact across Australia, with the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) joining inaugural funder Hand Heart Pocket to support its next chapter.

Backing the Bold is the first program in Australia to combine tailored capability support with access to loan finance. It helps impact-led organisations strengthen their operational and financial foundations so they can confidently take on investment.

For many impact organisations, finance from mainstream lenders is out of reach, so having the support to become truly investment-ready with pathways to fit-for-purpose capital can help them go from simply surviving to creating sustainable impact at scale.

The early results from Backing the Bold demonstrate the power of this approach. Entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds are gaining the clarity and confidence to grow their operations and deliver better outcomes for their customers and communities.

Shannon Lemanski, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Aqua Ubique, experienced this transformation firsthand. “We knew we had something, but we didn’t know how to scale it properly. Backing the Bold supported us in securing a $130K loan, which allowed us to consolidate and separate personal and business finances. We now have clarity on where we’re going, how we get there, and what needs to happen along the way.” Since launch, Backing the Bold has delivered more than $150,000 in specialised coaching, supported enterprises to secure a combined $250,000 in loans, and established a $4 million lending pipeline to organisations.

Sara Parrott, CEO of Hand Heart Pocket, has seen enterprises like Aqua Ubique expand its operations and deliver greater impact for Queensland communities. “We knew the ambition was there, enterprises just needed the right support and a clear pathway to capital. We're proud to see Backing the Bold now opening those same doors for enterprises creating impact across the country.”

Ben Smith, PRF’s Director Investment and Impact Capital, says PRF is delighted to build on Hand Heart Pocket’s establishing work with Sefa to support Backing the Bold’s national rollout.

“We consistently hear the need for early-stage capital alongside quality non-financial technical assistance from impact-led organisations” he says. “We’re proud to support the growth of Sefa's pioneering model which is meeting this need”

With PRF extending the reach of Backing the Bold, we need even more committed partners to walk beside us and secure the program's long-term future. Together, we can back the bold organisations supporting and shaping Australia's future.