Jobs Queensland facilitated research to understand appropriate roles for government to help support social enterprise activity to deliver economic and social outcomes for Queensland.
A range of engagement and consultation activities was undertaken across Queensland in early 2019 to inform the project. Find out more about the consultation.
The research specifically considered the extent, role and outcomes of social enterprises in Queensland's business and jobs market, and identified possible mechanisms for government support.
The research has informed the Queensland Social Enterprise Strategy released in September 2019.
summary of the research
(PDF, 175 KB)
Social enterprise research and findings
The research carried out by KPMG Australia has found Queensland’s social enterprise sector is vibrant and dynamic, characterised by a strong grass-roots movement that responds to local markets and local needs.
Social enterprises have a positive economic and social impact, particularly for people who experience disadvantage. Many social enterprises achieve positive social benefits through supporting people into employment and improving social inclusion for people from disadvantaged or at-risk backgrounds.
Read the summary for an overview of the research or download the full KPMG report.
READ THE RESEARCH OVERVIEW
(PDF, 175 KB)
READ THE FULL REPORT
(PDF, 10 MB)
Consultation
Jobs Queensland organised consultation activities with various stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and with different views about how government can help and support social enterprises in Queensland.
Stakeholder views were broadly consistent, including:
- social enterprises have an important role to play in their communities and the Queensland economy
- many social enterprises are place-based entities and strongly connected to a local or regional community that provide valuable networks, mentoring and peer support
- while a number of challenges faced by social enterprises are similar to those experienced by small businesses generally, there are some key differences given the pursuit of both commercial and social/environmental/cultural objectives.
To know more about the key consultation outcomes, read the consultation overview.
READ THE CONSULTATION OVERVIEW
(PDF, 116 KB)
The Queensland Social Enterprise Strategy is the Queensland Government’s commitment to supporting the growth of the social enterprise sector in Queensland. It has been developed based on the research and consultation undertaken through the Jobs Queensland social enterprise research.
The strategy outlines three key focus areas of targeted support for social enterprises to address some of the challenges identified by Jobs Queensland’s research, including:
- building capability and capacity in the sector including access to financial support
- making connections across the sector to increase collaboration and promotional opportunities
- improving market access by linking social enterprises to procurement opportunities.
Find out more about the Queensland Social Enterprise Strategy.
Last updated 21 April 2023