2024 - 2025 Quarterly Grants Program, SOCIAL ENTERPRISE BUSINESS PLAN FUND

This grant is designed to:

1. Assist existing local social enterprises to engage on external professional service that can assist with the ongoing operation and sustainability of the business (such as marketing, web design, and book-keeping.
2. Provide funding for existing not-for-profit organisations 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.  

General eligibility criteria, information and requirements can be found on Council's website.

City of Parramatta Council uses the SmartyGrants online system for its grants management. If you have used SmartyGrants for any other grant programs, you can use the same login. 

Council seeks to support the growth of social enterprises that have 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. 
• Mixture of capital inputs - The enterprise is supported through a mixture of grant income/subsidised income and trading income, but must trade. 
• Generation of a social return in addition to a financial return, and commitment to demonstrating this. 
• Favour democratic decision-making structure and seek high levels of accountability to their stakeholders, rather than just to shareholders. 

We encourage all applicants to have discussed their application with a relevant Council Officer.