Social Enterprise Program
At iAccelerate, we champion responsible innovation, aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our Social Enterprise Program is designed for those looking to make a positive social or environmental impact through business.
Applications close 1 December 2023
SCHOLARSHIPS
iAccelerate is offering 10 Social Enterprise scholarships:
- Full scholarships valued at $13,000 per enterprise, funded by Investment NSW
- Each scholarship allows up to three participants per enterprise
EXPERT GUIDANCE
Learn from Australia's leading social entrepreneurs through:
- Industry-leading coaches and mentors
- Site visits to local social enterprises
RESOURCES
Access iAccelerate’s resources and expert community to grow your impact, including:
- Tailored 14-week education program to design, test and launch your social enterprise
- 12 months office space and access to iAccelerate‘s multi-purpose facility
WHAT IS THE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE PROGRAM?
Our program is designed for entrepreneurs looking to deliver social or environmental impact.
The 14-week Education Program is valued at $4,500 and includes:
- Facilitator-led workshops
- Self-paced online learning
- Individual mentoring with leading experts Active learning
- Peer support through site visits to social enterprises accompanied by talks from their leaders.
10 startups will then be selected and offered an additional nine-month residency within iAccelerate, after completion of the education program.
Residency at iAccelerate offers you all the benefits you need to succeed - being part a community of like-minded people, an advanced education offering plus a designated desk space for you to take the action needed to make your business a reality.
The nine-month additional Residency Program is valued at $8,500 and includes workshops on:
- Social impact
- The right business structure for your enterprise
- How to get funding
- Developing new products and services
- Finding paying customers
- Pitching
This program will be delivered at UOW’s iAccelerate facility:
iAccelerate Centre, Innovation Campus, Squires Way, North Wollongong, NSW, 2500
KEY DATES
The Education Program:
- 7 February - 22 May 2024
- Running every Wednesday morning
- The Education Program ends with a pitch event to showcase your business and the skills you've developed
The Residency Program:
22 May - 20 December 2024
Site Visits:
- Greenacres Disability Services, 14 February
- Green Connect, 21 February
- Flagstaff Group, 28 February
Coaching Workshops:
Learn from Australia's leading social entrepreneurs from:
- OzHarvest
- The Reconnect Project
- Goods4Good
- Backtrack Works
- The Social Story
- Fighting Chance and Jigsaw
- YEP Careers
- Give and Take Co and Two GooD
- StartSomeGood
- Empathy First
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Want to start a business for good? Our Social Entrepreneur Program can support founders, businesses and ideas, including:
- Community members who want to create positive social or environmental change through a business idea
- Founders looking to turn their idea into a business
- Not-for-profits and organisations looking to make a financially sustainable impact in their community
- Existing businesses looking to revitalise their strategy to launch responsible new products or services
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
