Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) First Nations Grants

The Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) First Nations capability building Grants provide support for First Nations enterprises to strengthen their capability, expand their operations and increase their social and economic impact.

Grants are valued at between $50,000 and $120,000 each. Grant funds are to be used to purchase capability services from Capability Providers and other businesses, such as financial services, evaluation and impact measurement, business consulting and legal advice. Up to 20% of grant funds can be used to cover internal costs that are necessary to purchase these services.

The grants support First Nations enterprises that are trading Indigenous owned or controlled enterprises across all states and territories that are delivering services to improve social and economic outcomes for First Nations communities and Australians in a range of social outcome areas, including: employment and education.

Grant eligibility

An eligible SEDI First Nations Grant applicant:

Is an Indigenous community-controlled organisation: an organisation that is at least 51% Indigenous owned and controlled, incorporated and not-for-profit
or
Is an owned and operated Indigenous organisation: an organisation that is at least 51% Indigenous owned and controlled
or
‘Other’ Indigenous organisation: an organisation that is at least 50% Indigenous owned or controlled.

Note: If your organisation does not fit one of the above definitions, you are considered a non-Indigenous organisation and not eligible to apply for a SEDI First Nations Grant. You may be eligible for a SEDI grant.

• Is a First Nations social enterprise defined as a trading Indigenous owned or controlled organisation with a social benefit. This may include, but is not limited to:
  • Profit is utilised for its defined key purpose, that includes social, cultural, environmental or community benefit and change
  • Invests efforts and resources into their purpose
  • Creates employment and training opportunities for First Nations people
  • Delivers products and services to meet community needs
  • Profit re-distribution where some profits or revenue are re-invested into a community benefit
• Is owned and operated in Australia with beneficiaries who primarily reside in Australia.
• Has a business model that includes entrepreneurial or commercial trade activity. This may include an ‘entrepreneurial business’ or new revenue stream within an existing organisation, as long as it meets the trade revenue requirements (see description of trading revenue further below).
• Has progressed beyond the startup phase. This means you are already trading and are able to meet the annual trade revenue requirement. If your enterprise is a new revenue stream within an existing organisation, you must be able to show how the enterprise enables you to scale your impact in an approved outcome area and/or diversify your commercial revenue.
• Is seeking capability building support to scale impact in one or more of the approved outcome areas (see next point). Scale means to substantially increase the impact your enterprise delivers. This might mean increasing the number of beneficiaries your enterprise can reach (wide), or better supporting the needs of your enterprise’s existing beneficiaries (deep). Please read the Department of Social Services’ outcome areas for information on the approved outcome areas.
• Has a revenue that exceeds $50,000 and a trading revenue that exceeds $35,000 per year. Trading revenue is considered as income derived from the sale of goods or services to different customers in a repeatable way. Trading revenue does not include donations, philanthropic grants, gifts or short-term government grants. Government contracts awarded through competitive tenders or procurements can be considered as trade.