Social enterprises positively benefit our society in many ways, most importantly through job creation – with the net employment effect for new social enterprises being larger than that of commercial firms. By providing meaningful and supportive transitional employment pathways for those experiencing barriers - including young people, people with disability, Aboriginal Australians, women and culturally and linguistically diverse communities - social enterprises play a key role in supporting an inclusive Victorian labour market.

Globally, the social enterprise movement has grown significantly over the past decade. The coronavirus pandemic has challenged social enterprises but also provided countless examples of social enterprises across the world stepping up using agile and innovative approaches to address and mitigate both persistent and emerging challenges.

The Social Enterprise Strategy 2021-25 seeks to grow, better connect and unlock opportunities for the sector, so that social enterprises can play an even greater role in creating jobs, and delivering enhanced economic and social value to the Victorian community.

This strategy sets an ambitious agenda for Victoria, with a suite of actions across four thematic areas:

1. Building business skills and capability and capturing impact.
2. Enhancing recognition and access to innovative financing to scale impact.
3. Fostering a connected and innovative social enterprise ecosystem across Victoria.
4. Opening doors for social enterprises across government.