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

The past few years have seen a disruption to ‘business-as-usual’ in a way that most of us haven’t experienced in our lifetimes. In this time of social and economic change, WASEC was 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 advocates for and works with new and existing social enterprises to create a thriving, collaborative social enterprise sector in Western Australia, where social enterprise is the first choice for consumers, business and government.  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 actively contributes to ASENA national initiatives to create a thriving social enterprise community in Australia. Click here to get behind the ASENA campaign to put social enterprise on the federal policy agenda.

Membership

Interested in joining our community?  Membership applications are NOW OPEN HERE.

You can view our public launch event held on 22 April 2021 here and view the media release here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Got questions about what social enterprise is all about? Check out our FAQ here.

About WASEC – Our Strategic Overview

Want to learn more about who we serve, what we do, and who we are?  Click here.

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 business that exists to deliver a measurable social, cultural or environmental impact. It derives most of its revenue from trading 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.

Thanks to the support of generous friend of the social enterprise movement in WA, Michael Goh Photography, these photos below captured the WASEC launch event on Thursday 22 April 2021, which was attended by over a hundred leaders across sectors, Welcome to Country by Kerry-Ann Winmar, and featured a panel discussion with guests Kathleen Burton (WASEC Board Member and CEO of Perth City Farm), Patrick Gorman (Member for Perth, Shadow Assistant Minister for Western Australia), Amanda Healy (WASEC Board Member, Managing Director, Kirrikin), Adam Levin (former Partner, Jackson McDonald, Founding Member, Impact Investment WA Alliance), and facilitated by Chandra Sundareswaran (GM, Spacecubed).