Supporting the growth of effective social enterprises through an incubator
Since February, Sefa Partnerships and Sefa have been delivering the PRF Social Enterprise Growth Incubator. 8 social enterprises have been working alongside coaches, SMEs and peer experts to prepare to expand their operations.
The incubator is a 10-month long engagement. We assessed each social enterprise and paired them with two coaches based on their needs and ambitions. The teams have had fortnightly sessions with their coaches throughout the program, and all have had three opportunities to come together in person with the other social enterprises to work on their growth plans.
We invited up to four people from each enterprise to participate in the program. This has reduced the burden on CEOs, improved the collaboration and functioning of the executive teams, and helped distribute new skills and knowledge within the organisations.
As a complement to the above, our wonderful colleagues at TDI have delivered a program specifically for the CEOs, which has been designed to enhance their leadership skills and help them lead their organisations through this period of change.
We will have one final in-person event with all of our teams in November, when we will get together to celebrate the many, many achievements of the enterprises alongside the coaches, sponsors and other supporters of the program.
Why growth incubators matter
Growth incubators exist to help established social enterprises tackle the challenge of expanding their operations. But even though they already have customers, income, and a proven impact model, growing is a big risk, and poorly executed expansion plans can damage (or even spell the end for) social enterprises. This is particularly true for teams who have not been on a growth journey before - as the challenges of launching a new social enterprise are not the same.
Supporting enterprises at this critical juncture can not only help them achieve their immediate ambitions, but it can also help them develop growth playbooks they can use again and again. In doing this, social enterprises can ensure they create more and more positive impact on the world, sustainably.
Impact we have seen so far
The incubator is not over yet, but we can already see improvements in the skills and resources of the 8 enterprises.
According to our midway survey of incubator participants, the top 3 ways the incubator has helped are 1) by providing strategic direction and clarity, 2) helping improve operations, and 3) working to improve the financial health of the organisation.
The coaches have been assessing teams for the critical skills required to run and grow social enterprises. There are 23 skills across the following four domains: Impact Capabilities, Customer and Market Knowledge, Business Model & Financial Skills and Governance and HR Capabilities. Every skill has improved since February. The greatest improvement has been in Business Model & Financial Skills - teams scored on average 2/5 (fair) in February, and scored 4/5 (very good) in August.
More about the teams
Ability Enterprises (Queensland)
Ability Enterprises provides meaningful employment opportunities to marginalised individuals living in regional Queensland. It collectively employs over 80 people who have faced barriers to employment, across various sectors including waste management, hospitality, maintenance, administration and cleaning industries.
Blend Creative (South Australia)
Blend Creative is a socially inclusive, multi-service graphic design studio that provides real work opportunities to designers with disabilities.
Free to Feed (Victoria)
Through training, employment and supportive shared food experiences, Free to Feed empowers people seeking asylum and refugees to overcome social and economic barriers to inclusion in Australia.
Fruit2Work (Victoria)
Fruit2Work delivers high quality fruit, milk, and pantry items to workplaces, while providing meaningful employment opportunities for those who have been impacted by the justice system.
Hamlet (Tasmania)
Hamlet is a social-enterprise café providing hands-on training and work-ready skills to Tasmanians who face barriers to securing employment and participating in the community.
Hotel Etico (NSW)
Located in the historic Mount Victoria Manor in the Blue Mountains, Hotel Etico is Australia’s first social enterprise hotel, providing vocational training and independent living skills for young adults with learning disabilities.
Social Science Translated (Queensland/online)
Through its flagship espionage-themed program, Secret Agent Society (SAS), Social Science Translated works to strengthen the emotional and social skills and resilience of eight to 12-year-olds, including children diagnosed with autism, ADHD and anxiety.
Welcome to Country (NSW/online)
Welcome to Country is a not-for-profit organisation addressing employment and economic development outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by providing a national online marketplace for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences and products.