Australian Social Enterprise Awards Shortlist

The creative use of toilet paper, coffee, fashion design, and bottled water are featured in some of the social enterprises shortlisted in the inaugural Australian Social Enterprise Awards (SE Awards) being presented in Melbourne on Tuesday 28 May, 2013.

Young refugees creating a fashion label in the back of a Collingwood café; a single bottle of Gold Coast water that provides a month’s supply of water to Cambodian communities; converting cooking oil to bio-fuels; and environmentally friendly toilet paper that generates profits to build toilets are on the shortlist of 20 organisations elected from 100 applications.

The Awards celebrate social enterprises active across all sectors of the Australian economy that use commercial practices to deliver economic, social, cultural and environmental outcomes that specifically benefit the public and communities.

A distinguished judging panel comprising global strategy advisor Simon Gillies, CEO of Reconciliation Australia Leah Armstrong, social enterprise expert Ingrid Burkett, financial services executive Alastair Welsh and, General Manager Strategy and Communications at Australia Post, Andrew McInerney will select the finalist in five categories.

Social Enterprise of the Year (small) – presented by The Trust Company Foundation
Social Enterprise of the Year (medium/large) 
Youth-Led Social Enterprise of the Year – presented by the Foundation for Young Australians
Social Enterprise Innovation Award – presented by the Australian Government
Social Procurement SE Supporter of the Year – presented by Social Traders

Chair of the judging panel Simon Gillies said the panel was extremely impressed with the vitality of the social enterprise sector in Australia.

“The high calibre of applications for the inaugural Awards provides further evidence of the broad range of innovative and sustainable Australian Social Enterprises making significant contributions to diverse local, national and international communities.

Winners in each of the five categories will receive prizes ranging from $10,000 cash; tickets, flights and accommodation for The Social Enterprise World Forum or The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurs; or, in the case of Social Procurement SE Supporter of the Year, the ‘respect, love and gratitude’ of a burgeoning international movement.

The Social Enterprise Awards were instigated by Social Traders – a social enterprise development organisation based in Melbourne, in partnership with Foresters Community Finance, a community development finance organisation based in Brisbane, to promote the efforts achievements of almost 20,000 social enterprise organisations.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE OF THE YEAR Small

· Connecting Up provides the Not for Profit sector with information resources, services and training to ensure affordable access to high quality technology. (Adelaide, SA)

·Enterprise Partnerships works with companies in banking and finance, essential services, property development, insurance, debt collection and with federal regulators to deliver bespoke training and consulting to help meet the needs of vulnerable consumers. (Epping, VIC)

· MadCap Cafe Enterprise operates a café franchise that trains, employs and transitions people who suffer from a mental illness into the open employment market (Dandenong, VIC)

· Thankyou Water contributes profits from sales of its bottled water to provide safe water access to people in developing nations. (Collingwood, VIC)

· The Abbotsford Convent Foundation aims to create an exemplary arts, cultural and learning precinct, that encourages collaboration and social interaction at all levels. (Abbotsford, VIC)

· The Social Studio includes a fashion label, shop and café that provide a safe and supportive setting for employment, education and professional development for young people who have experienced being a refugee. (Collingwood, VIC)

· Nundah Community Enterprises Cooperative manages two successful businesses: Espresso Train Cafe and NCEC Parks and Maintenance, which create meaningful work opportunities for people with an intellectual disability or mental health issue.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE OF THE YEAR medium/ large

· The Big Issue Australia provides employment opportunities for homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged individuals through the sale of the national monthly magazine.

· Clean Force Property Services, specialises in supporting and training people with a disability (primarily mental illness) to access sustainable employment through cleaning contracts from businesses and community-based organisations in and around Melbourne. (Preston, VIC)

· Great Lakes Community Resources draws on government, industry and community to develop enterprises that enable disadvantaged people to develop social and economic livelihoods. (Great Lakes, NSW)

· STREAT operates three cafes and a coffee roasting company that provides homeless and disadvantaged youth aged 16-25 years with a supported pathway into the hospitality industry. (Melbourne, VIC)

· Waverley Industries is a Not for Profit organisation that provides employment opportunities for people with special needs, in particular intellectually disabled adults. (Notting Hill, VIC)

· VATMI Group employs more than 300 people with disabilities in active and progressive roles that build upon their personal capabilities through three commercial divisions of packing, recycling and art & design.

· GAME Traffic & Contracting is a labour hire company for disadvantaged employees and they reinvest their profit to run a variety of specialised employment programs designed for disadvantaged local jobseekers.

YOUTH-LED SOCIAL ENTERPRISE OF THE YEAR

· Bounce is a nook coffee shop that provides individuals who have been marginalized from the work force, the opportunity to receive training and life skills that rebuild their confidence and help secure employment. (Toowoomba, QLD)

· The Engineers Without Borders Institute works to fight poverty and improve the quality of life in communities through innovative technology and education projects in Australia and Asia. (North Melbourne, VIC)

· Thankyou Water contributes 100% of profits from sales of its bottled water to fund safe water projects in developing nations. (Collingwood, VIC)

· OurSay.org is passionate about harnessing the power of social media to revitalise critical participation in Australian democracy. (Melbourne, VIC)

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE INNOVATION AWARD

· Ashoil (Ashburton Aboriginal Corporation) trains young indigenous individuals from the Pilbara region to convert waste cooking oil into biodiesel fuels. (Ashburton, WA)

· CareerTrackers works with indigenous university students and private sector companies to create career pathways through a structured internship program. (Surry Hills, NSW)

· MadCap Cafe Enterprise operates a café franchise that trains, employs and transitions people who suffer from a mental illness into the open employment market (Dandenong, VIC)

· STREAT operates three cafes and a coffee roasting company that provides homeless and disadvantaged youth aged 16-25 years with a supported pathway into the hospitality industry, and long-term independence. (Melbourne, VIC)

· Who Gives A Crap sells environmentally friendly toilet paper and use profits to build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world. (Melbourne, VIC)

SOCIAL PROCUREMENT SE SUPPORTER OF THE YEAR

· Great Lakes Council has supported the development of a range of Social Enterprises that have benefited the local community through their procurement practise. (Great Lakes, NSW)

· Toowoomba Regional Council is committed to ensuring that employment opportunities are maximised for individuals in the local community that are from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. (Toowoomba, QLD)

· Transfield Services is a global provider of operations, maintenance and construction services that utilises Social Enterprises as part of their supply chain.(Malvern, VIC)