Social Impact Hub, an organisation dedicated to help not-for-profits create impact, has announced the eight enterprises selected to participate in its 2021 Scaling Impact accelerator program.
Funded through Australian Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme and the Sidney Myer Fund, together with support from Ernst & Young and the English Family Foundation, the Scaling Impact accelerator focuses on addressing the needs of social start-ups at a crucial point in their development – the inflection point between building on a proven track record and preparing to take on impact investment.
“We were very impressed with the quality of applications we received for the program, especially the number that were referrals from our first cohort. Word of mouth recommendations for the program is a great reflection on the first cohort’s experience,” said Jessica Roth, Founder and Director at Social Impact Hub.
“We focused on selecting those enterprises that have strong business models and are operating in resilient sectors,” said Kate Saunders, Head of Scaling Impact.
“They also needed to have an unambiguous social or environmental intention that is aligned with one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals. It was a highly competitive selection process and we’re looking forward to working with the eight selected over the coming months,” Saunders said.
The Scaling Impact accelerator includes a series of masterclasses, tailored advisory support and mentoring, with a focus on future impact investment. Some of the masterclasses will be open to the public to join and will be announced here.
Scaling Impact Fellowship
The Social Impact Hub has also launched a Scaling Impact Fellowship, which will run alongside the accelerator and also be of great benefit to the enterprises in the program.
Developed in response to a demand for formal guidance for those wanting to create greater social and environmental impact in their careers, the transformative fellowship program is for aspiring changemakers seeking to explore their purpose and understand how they can drive greater social and environmental impact through their work and beyond.
The enterprises in the Scaling Impact accelerator can utilise the skills and expertise of the selected Fellows on important projects who, in exchange, receive practical and real-world experience working in a social enterprise.
The inaugural Scaling Impact accelerator program ran in 2020 and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the enterprises that participated. “As a result of the program, we are far more confident in our journey to become impact investment ready and where we fit in the market,” said Weh Yeoh, Co-Founder and CEO at Umbo, and Pro Bono Australia Impact 25 2021 Winner.
Nicole Gamerov, Founder and CEO at MyCareSpace, was also full of praise, “The Scaling Impact Program has literally transformed our business by giving us the skills and tools we need to scale up our impact on the disability sector.”
Since the first program concluded, the Social Impact Hub has successfully secured Impact Investment Ready Growth Grants (IIRGG) for a number of the enterprises to provide the further support necessary to raise capital and fast-track their growth and scale of impact.
The eight enterprises making up the 2021 Scaling Impact cohort were selected from a highly competitive pool of over 60 applications and from across Australia. They include:
- Champion Life: a technology company with an overarching mission to deliver engaging and effective preventative health education to populations in need.
- CommUnity Construction: a pioneering social enterprise in the Australian construction industry on a mission to empower those who have sought refuge and asylum in Australia to build new lives.
- The Equality Institute: a global feminist agency working to advance gender equality and end violence against women and girls.
- Green Collect: an award-winning not-for-profit social enterprise dedicated to working for sustainable environmental and social change by assisting businesses to achieve the highest possible environmental outcomes for a wide range of discarded office items, while at the same time creating new jobs.
- Grow Your Mind: a mental health social enterprise and certified BCorp dedicated to preventative mental health education for pre and primary school children and their communities.
- Mates on the Moves: a waste diversion business providing training and employment to people leaving prison.
- PROJECT ROCKIT: a social enterprise which delivers quality anti-bullying and social leadership training in school settings.
- She’s A Crowd: a feminist tech start-up using the power of storytelling to make cities safer for women.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program will be conducted entirely virtually. The event will culminate with a Demo Day on 13 October at the Impact Investment Summit, where each participating enterprise will present to impact investors, sector leaders, program partners and community influencers.