The moment you’ve all been waiting for! We can finally share with you the finalists of the inaugural WA Social Enterprise Council Awards!
After receiving 130 outstanding applications, WASEC had the tricky task of narrowing it down to just five exceptional businesses per category. Thank you to everyone who entered, and we hope you will still come along to the awards on Thursday, 19 June and support our awesome community.
These finalists are all making significant contributions to our community while prioritising social impact. Good luck to all our nominees.
Social Enterprise of the Year Finalists
- Reboot Australia: A social enterprise that bridges the gap between incarceration and employment by connecting ex-offenders with tailored job opportunities and support services, fostering dignity and reintegration into society.
- Mettle Inc.: A gift delivery service that employs and empowers women experiencing homelessness due to domestic and family violence, providing them with skills, confidence, and financial security to secure stable employment and housing.
- Kardan Construction: An Aboriginal-owned construction company committed to creating employment pathways for Indigenous people and other underrepresented groups, supporting diversity and sustainable practices in the construction industry.
- Dismantle: Offers at-risk youth hands-on, entry-level employment opportunities, combining vocational training with paid work experience. Young people aged 12-25 can participate in BikeRescue, Dismantle’s outreach program, that uses bicycle mechanics to connect with and mentor young people, or work for ReNew Property Maintenance delivering commercial gardening services.
- Good Sammy: A social enterprise focused on creating a better future for Australians with disabilities by providing jobs and training opportunities, while promoting environmental sustainability through initiatives like the circular economy.
Emerging Social Enterprise of the Year Finalists
- Redrawn: An engineering, design, and drafting company which is focused on inclusion, they are diversifying the industry by hiring and upskilling individuals from underrepresented groups, including women, First Nations people, individuals with disabilities, refugees, and migrants. Redrawn are hoping to change the face of engineering by increasing diversity in the engineering sector.
- Lyn Beazley Academy: A Perth-based Academy, providing support and services designed to help high school-aged children with autism reach their full potential. Behind it is former WA chief scientist and neuroscientist Lyn Beazley. Opening July 1, the Lyn Beazley Academy in West Perth will host up to 48 students.
- Zentient: A Perth-founded social enterprise that assists nonprofit organisations in optimising their digital tools and systems, enhancing their capacity to deliver impactful services efficiently.
- Plenty Gifting: A profit-for-purpose enterprise, Plenty cook fresh, home made meals and deliver them around Perth. 100% of profits from meal gift purchases are directed to local food relief programs (HavenWell, Feed the Little Children Inc).
- Self Made Girls Incorporated: An organisation committed to empowering young girls by building their confidence and self-esteem, helping them navigate adolescence through supportive programs and initiatives.
- St Pat’s Community Store: Reshaping the op shop model by focusing on dignity, choice, and trauma-informed support, the Fremantle store offers more than just goods – it provides a respectful, empowering space for people transitioning from homelessness to rebuild their lives.
Innovation in Social Enterprise Finalists
- Loop Upcycling: Australia’s first corporate upcycling company, transforming redundant corporate textiles from airlines and mining companies into new products while creating employment opportunities for individuals experiencing vulnerability.
- AACHWA (Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of Western Australia): A peak body supporting WA Aboriginal Art Centres by promoting cultural strength, providing training, and facilitating leadership within younger generations.
- Matilda Health: A one-stop digital platform providing evidence-based and affordable education, symptom tracking, behaviour change support, group therapy, and more for those living with endometriosis.
- Young Change Agents: A social enterprise focused on equipping young people with the skills, tools, and mindsets to identify problems and develop innovative solutions for social change.
Social Enterprise Leadership Finalists
- Bronwyn and Alesha Bate: Co-founders of Mettle Women Inc., a Perth-based social enterprise dedicated to empowering women who have experienced homelessness due to domestic and family violence.
- Katie Liew: Founder of The Underground Collaborative, a social enterprise dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness. Katie’s cafe Ground+Co, located at the State Library of Western Australia, offers training, mentoring, and employment opportunities, empowering individuals to gain financial stability and transition into long-term housing.
- Anthony MacShane: Anthony MacShane is the founder and General Manager of Reboot Australia, a social enterprise that provides employment pathways and reintegration support for ex-offenders, aiming to reduce recidivism through meaningful work opportunities.
- Sven Stenvers: An advocate for social innovation, Sven Stenvers is the co-founder of Impact Seed, a leading advisory firm dedicated to fostering systems-change finance and entrepreneurship in Western Australia.
- Natasha Short: East-Kimberley raised Natasha is the founder of Kimberley Jiyigas, a collective of Indigenous women leaders aiming to amplify their voices and drive positive change within their communities.
Regional Impact Finalists
- Green Skills: An organisation promoting environmental sustainability through hands-on education, training, and employment projects in areas like landcare, waste reduction, and renewable energy, particularly in regional Western Australia.
- Magabala Books: A leading Indigenous-owned publishing house, based in Broome, dedicated to nurturing and sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices through literature, storytelling, and cultural publishing.
- Jack’s Shed: A community-based recycling initiative where people with disabilities collect and process newspapers to be converted into fertiliser, offering supported employment and a sense of purpose, with all proceeds going directly back to the workers.
- Ieramugadu Store Maya: A 100% Indigenous-owned, not-for-profit supermarket in Roebourne, providing affordable groceries and essential goods while creating local jobs and supporting community wellbeing.
- Mumma Jo’s Grocers: An Indigenous-owned grocery store that supplies affordable food to the local community while providing meaningful employment and training opportunities for First Nations youth.
Work-Integrated Social Enterprise Award Finalists
- Kardan Construction: An Indigenous-owned company that delivers high-quality construction and maintenance services, while creating sustainable employment and training pathways for Aboriginal people and other disadvantaged groups.
- Loop Upcycling: Partners with corporate and community organisations to transform unwanted textiles into new, high-value products, while providing employment and skills development opportunities for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
- Good Sammy Enterprises: A Western Australian social enterprise that operates op shops and recycling initiatives to fund programs that provide meaningful employment, work experience, and training for people with disabilities.
- The Underground Collaborative: Empowers people experiencing or at risk of homelessness by providing employment, training, and pathways through initiatives like social enterprise cafés and creative projects.
- Chris’ Kitchen: A social enterprise catering business that provides nutritious food to the community while offering culinary training and employment support to individuals facing barriers such as homelessness or long-term unemployment.
Indigenous-led Social Enterprise Award Finalists
- Ieramugadu Store Maya: A community-owned store in Roebourne that provides affordable groceries, fuel, and essential services, supporting local employment and economic self-determination in an Indigenous community.
- Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation: A cultural organisation based in Roebourne that preserves, promotes, and celebrates Yindjibarndi culture through media, arts, language, and community development initiatives.
- AACHWA (Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of Western Australia): Supports the development and sustainability of Aboriginal art centres across Western Australia by providing advocacy, professional development, and strategic support to promote the wellbeing of artists and their communities.
- Maganda Makers (Kimberley Jiygas): A program by Kimberley Jiygas, empowering Indigenous women artists and entrepreneurs in the Kimberley by providing mentoring, enterprise development, and market access opportunities.
- Foundation for Indigenous Sustainable Health (FISH): Works to break cycles of intergenerational disadvantage in Indigenous communities by promoting holistic, sustainable approaches to health, housing, employment, and cultural connection.
Best Supporter of Social Enterprise Finalists
- Enterprise Partnerships WA: Supports First Nations women’s leadership through entrepreneurship, by supporting community-led enterprises that foster health and well-being and leadership. They focus on building the capacity of communities to activate local economies through enterprise.
- Impact Seed: Western Australia’s leading impact investment and social enterprise development organisation, supporting ventures through strategy, funding pathways, and ecosystem development.
- Bloom: Empowers young entrepreneurs and startups – including social enterprises – by providing co-working space, mentoring, workshops, and access to a thriving innovation community.
- Microenterprise People: Supports the creation and sustainability of micro-businesses, especially for people facing disadvantage, through mentoring, business planning, and wraparound support.
We are incredibly proud to recognise these inspiring social enterprises and their dedication to creating positive change across Western Australia! The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday, 19 June at Perth City Farm.
The event is open to the public and especially suitable for social entrepreneurs or those interested in the fast growing social impact sector in Western Australia.
Tickets are heavily subsidised thanks to our generous sponsors below and includes: a delicious two-course meal by First Nations-led Gather Foods, free flowing drinks featuring local beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options, live music, a beautiful-unique space and an an evening of inspiring speeches, MC’d by the awesome storyteller, Jess Dudley from Young Change Agents. Tickets can be purchased here.
Thanks to our supporters for making this special event happen Containers for Change (WARRRL) Impact Seed Lotterywest Anglicare WA Beyond Bank Australia Westpac Good Sammy Enterprises Department of Finance
