In a first for Australia, the project attempted to identify and map the social enterprise sector: its scope, its variety of forms, its reasons for trading, its financial dimensions, and the individuals and communities social enterprises aim to benefit.

It was initiated in 2009 by Social Traders and the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies at the Queensland University of Technology, and led by Associate Professor Jo Barraket of the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

“The purpose of the Finding Australia’s Social Enterprise Sector (FASES) project is to map the range and scope of social enterprises in Australia. The research will be used to determine the number of Australian social enterprises, the geographic and industry areas in which they operate, and their social and economic contributions,” Associate Professor Barraket said.

This information will be used to advocate for the needs of Australia’s social enterprise sector, as well as to produce an online social enterprise directory that will promote the benefits, goods and services of the sector to the public, governments, business, and other not-for-profits.