Representing WA’s Social Enterprise sector | Building the Impact Economy | Inclusive Business | Procurement | Certification | Collaboration

2020 has seen disruption to ‘business-as-usual’ in a way that most of us haven’t experienced in our lifetimes. At this time of unprecedented social and economic change, WASEC has been formed by leaders in Western Australia’s social enterprise sector to build a new economy that places community, employee and environmental impact outcomes on an equal footing with sustainable financial returns.

WASEC will advocate for and work with new social enterprises and existing WA businesses that want to transform for social impact outcomes, with the vision of establishing a thriving, collaborative for social enterprise sector in Western Australia.  It provides the sector with a collective voice to promote market development including:

• Social procurement across government, business and not for profit sectors;
• Social enterprise accreditation;
• Robust impact & outcomes measurement frameworks;
• Fit-for-purpose legal and financial structures and support
• Provide ethical, values-driven stewardship of what it means to be defined as a social enterprise

WASEC is a proud member of the Alliance of Social Enterprise Networks Australia comprising all 7 State and Territory social enterprise councils, and contributed to ASENA’s submission to the Prime Minister’s Social Impact Investing Taskforce calling for a 10 year plan to create a thriving social enterprise community in Australia. Click here to Download ASENA Submission to the Social Impact Investing Taskforce.

More information

For media enquiries please contact hello@wasec.org.au and follow us on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter at the icon links below.

Definitions

A Social Enterprise is a discrete entity that is impact-mission driven, and uses a financially sound business model to create actively-measured social, cultural and environmental impact. It derives most of its income from trade of goods or services (i.e. 50% or less of its income is from grants) and it reinvests a significant proportion of its profit in furthering its mission.

Impact Investment sees investors actively seek out funding opportunities that are focused on generating actively measured social, cultural and environmental impacts, alongside a sustainable financial return. The result allows investors to sustainability contribute to their communities while meeting their investment objectives. Types of impact investment include early or late stage funding for social enterprises, or equity/debt investment into investable impact projects in areas as diverse as housing, clean energy, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry; It can also be supported through instruments such as social procurement (mandating a target for purchasing through social enterprises, or pay for performance contracts such as social impact bonds.