Western Australia faces compounding issues: workforce participation, housing, cost of living, regional development, and lack of economic diversification. Social innovation looks to solve these problems so people can thrive and communities are positively impacted. More people work, buy stuff, pay tax – and have their needs met.
Take this one step further and you have social enterprises. They’re businesses – in anything from construction to hospitality – making a profit by tackling these challenges: generating jobs for the marginalised – the young, the homeless, survivors of violence – providing services for unmet needs, and putting profits back into WA.
There are an estimated 995 social enterprises in Western Australia contributing millions of dollars in social and economic impact. Hundreds are members of the WA Social Enterprise Council (WASEC).
But it’s not just social enterprises joining WASEC. The entire ecosystem is moving. TAFE and universities are teaching social impact. Accelerators want to learn how to develop ventures that make a profit and make a difference. Supply chains are looking to increase their social impact and buy from local businesses that give back. Funders also want to invest in sustainable models, not charities. Furthermore our recent research shows that consumers want to buy from WA businesses that make a positive difference.
Since 2019, we’ve been building the sector including developing WA’s only social enterprise directory (with funding from Lotterywest), launching the first WA Social Enterprise Awards, and launching the only Social Impact Incubator (with funding from the Minderoo Foundation and Spacecubed) to develop entrepreneurs committed to starting social enterprises in WA.
Now we’re ready to level up. But we need government support.
What we want
PROCUREMENT
1. Social procurement policy
A social procurement team exists in the Department of Finance. We would like to see “social enterprise” included in the social procurement framework and the framework mandated as policy rather than guidance. A lot of work is already done; it just needs approval and budget.
CASE STUDY: Procurement Policy Impact
WA’s mandatory Aboriginal Procurement Policy (2018) awarded over $1 billion in contracts to Aboriginal businesses. Contracts increased from 179 to 356 between 2018-19 and 2022-23. Nirrumbuk expanded from 80 to 215 employees as a result. This proves mandatory frameworks with clear targets drive real outcomes.
CHAMPION
2. A government champion
We want formal recognition of social enterprise at DG level with explicit ministerial responsibility. Queensland created an Office for Social Impact; the UK created an Impact Economy Office. We’re notasking for an office yet, but we want social enterprise formally recognised and championed.
CASE STUDY: Other Jurisdictions
Queensland: $80M through Social Entrepreneurs Fund; Office of Social Impact; $1.6M annually to Queensland Social Enterprise Council as peak body.
Victoria: $2.9M in Social Enterprise Strategy 2021-25; millions in government procurement from certified social enterprises.
UK: 100,000+ social enterprises generating £78B annually; integrated into government procurement and Commissioning. They also launched an Office for the Impact Economy in 2025.
INVESTMENT
3. Investment in the sector
This is the biggest challenge. Medium to large social enterprises can’t scale without it. Several of our members are inundated with people wanting to join their employment programs but they lack capacity to expand. Meanwhile, $14.8m is funding crisis accommodation for women escaping violence – this is vital and necessary but what next? Social enterprise can help these women find safe work, be trained, enter the mainstream labour market, buy a house, learn to drive, pay taxes, become a
supervisor and help other women.