The Evolve program aims to transition three (former) Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) into jobs-focused social enterprises through consulting and funding. Funded by philanthropy, White Box Enterprises (WBE) is leading the two-year program with pro-bono consulting and grants to support the transition of each enterprise across the two years. Support is delivered by specialised consultancy, with 20+ industry experts engaged drawing on an expertise mix of disability employment, commercial and transformation expertise. 

This evaluation of the Evolve program assesses its effectiveness and outcomes. It sets out to define ‘transformation’, identify effective support activities, explore achieved outcomes, and identify barriers/enablers to transformation. This report provides mid-term reflections on the outcomes and process to date. 

To date, this Australian pilot program has highlighted the tensions between establishing viable business models alongside a focus on the social purpose of the organisation to offer employment for people with disability, support their career progression through skills development, and transition into new roles with increased wages. The transformation process encompasses a broad set of change activities right across the organisation, extending out to its partners. Doing everything at once, both transforming while meeting existing business and organisational commitments, carries significant impost for the organisations and their staff. The added input, via White Box Enterprises, of skilled personnel, business and change models and systems is key to the change and its pace.