RFAs: Social Enterprise Business Planning Grant (Australia)

Purposes

• Assist existing local social enterprises to engage professional services that can assist with the ongoing operation and sustainability of the business (such as marketing, web design, and book -keeping),
• Provide funding for existing organisations or groups of individuals who are at the concept development stage of a social enterprise project and need assistance in the research, development and writing of a social enterprise business plan.

Funding Information

• Approximately $40,000 per financial year is available. There is a funding cap for each application of $2,000.
• City of Parramatta Council will only fund one application over a financial year, regardless of the number application received from an organisation.

Outcomes

• Increased community benefit and social impact.
• Increased economic prosperity and business sustainability.
• Improved business development and management abaility.
• Increased awareness and presence in Parramatta.

Eligible Activities

• Engaging professional services to assist with:
  • The ongoing operation and sustainability of an existing social enterprise.
  • The research, development and writing of a social enterprise business plan.

Eligibility Criteria

• All applications must meet the eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria common to all of Council’s Community Grants are listed below. in addition to this, each grant category has category-specific eligibility criteria. Common eligibility criteria require that the organisation must:
  • Be an incorporated not-for-profit organisation, a social enterprise or can provide evidence of an auspice arrangement with an incorporated not-for-profit organisation;
  • Be located within the boundaries of the Parramatta local government area and/or principally service Parramatta residents;
  • Address City of Parramatta’s vision statement and at least one of the eight priorities;
  • Set project start dates after the grant funding commencement date and does not require retrospective, recurrent or ongoing funding;
  • Have a bank account in its name with a minimum of 2 signatories, except where individuals have been named eligible for a specific program;
  • Not have overdue progress or acquittal reports for previously funded grants.

Ineligible Applicants

• The City of Parramatta does not provide grants for:
  • Activities and programs that duplicate existing services or repeat previously funded projects;
  • Attendance at conference or academic course fees, except within scholarship or fellowship programs;
  • Religious ceremonies and/or activities in which the promotion of a single faith is the main purpose;
  • Profit making activities where the profits are allocated to shareholder, owners and/or members;
  • The establishment or attainment of fundraising objectives.

Conditions for Program Eligibility 

• Applications must be from an incorporated body or have incorporated body providing auspice until the new entity can be set up independently or from an eligible social enterprise structure.
• Social Enterprises as defined in the City of Parramatta’s Grants and Donations Policy are defined as having the following characteristics:
  • Social, environmental, cultural mission/objectives core to purpose and focus;
  • Limited distribution of profits – the majority of profits are reinvested in the enterprise and/or an associated social entity;
  • Generation of a social return in addition to a financial return, and commitment to demonstrating this; Can have a mixture of capital inputs – the enter[rise is supported through a mixture of grant income/subsidised income and trading income, but must trade;
  • Favour democratic decision-making structures and seek high levels of accountability to their stakeholders, rather than just to shareholders.
• Commercial business applications, including for small or micro-business, are not eligible for funding under this category.

For more information, visit City of Parramatta Council.