Deadline: 2-Aug-23
Applications are now open for the Social Enterprise Business Planning Grant Program.
Purposes
- This category has two 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.
- Project funds for business plans can be used to engage the services of a business planning consultant, or to fund the research activities and staff time associated in writing a business plan.
Funding Information
- Total funding available is shared with the Small Grants Fund ($40,000 per financial year).
- 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 of applications received from an organisation.
Suggested Outcomes
- Increased community benefit and social impact;
- Increased economic prosperity and business sustainability;
- Improved business development and management ability;
- 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
- For business plan ideas, there must be clear evidence that there is a need and how the social enterprise activity will meet that need.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications must be from an incorporated body or have an 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 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 distributions 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 enterprise 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-businesses, are not eligible for funding under this category.
For more information, visit City of Parramatta.