Community Enterprise Projects

A young man serves a customer at the Eaglehawk Hub milk bar, where he was trainedThe Department of Planning and Community Development supports Community Enterprise in the following ways:

Social Traders

The Victorian Government, in partnership with a private philanthropic trust, is funding a community enterprise development agency.

The agency, Social Traders is a joint initiative of government, philanthropy, business and community organisations. It aims to create an environment for social enterprises to grow and be sustainable by:

• developing the skills base of grass roots social enterprises and the people working in these enterprises;
• responding to the emerging needs of communities wanting to develop social enterprises;
• generating investment and providing appropriate financial products and services to encourage growth of social enterprises;
• designing and delivering tailored tools and services; and
• engaging the corporate and philanthropic sectors to contribute skills, expertise and resources to emerging social enterprises.

For more information visit www.socialtraders.com.au

Investing in Community Enterprises

The Victorian Government has invested over $14 million in social enterprise development since 2004.

State Government funded social enterprises are businesses that trade for a social or community purpose and their profit is reinvested back into the business or the community. The enterprises are being funded to create local businesses, local jobs and affordable services in communities, especially those experiencing disadvantage.

In total over 100 enterprises have been funded. These have created over 1,100 job and training opportunities for people who have found it difficult to enter the mainstream labour market.

Find out more about community enterprises:

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