In 2026, the Social Enterprise Grants will join with the Business Growth and Impact Grants under their own dedicated stream. This stream supports businesses that are driving positive social and / or environmental impact or re-investing profits into a mission that delivers lasting community benefits.
Application process
Please visit Business Growth and Impact Grants for full details.
Current recipients
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Previous recipients
Open stream
- For Change Co. External link
For Change Co. exists to support young people out of the cycle of homelessness through employment and training in coffee making. Funding to expand its operations in CoM by offering a new catering arm 'Catering for Change' to Melbourne based businesses. This includes the development of a kitchen and cooking module as a paid, on-the-job, employment and training program for young people living in the city who are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness. - Professional Migrant Women External link (PMW)
PMW provides support, resources, and opportunities that foster professional growth and personal development for migrant women. Proposal is to develop a digital platform that will serve as a secure online hub, fostering genuine connections, collaboration, and networking opportunities amongst members, job providers, and community partners. From resources and webinars to job search features and professional contacts, it will help bridge the gap between migrants and career success. - Cultivating Community External link
Cultivating Community's mission is to work with diverse and low-income communities to create fair, secure and resilient food systems. "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" is a program that will work alongside CALD community and in particular women from multicultural backgrounds in supporting them on a journey to build confidence, emotional intelligence, empathy, leadership skills as well as opportunity to build self-employment, advocacy and enterprise skills. This will be delivered via an immersive kitchen challenge that works to create a cultural food product to market at Queen Victoria Market via the use of the Upcycle Kitchen in collaboration with STREAT External link. - ReadyTeacher External link
ReadyTeacher is an online teacher recruitment platform, matching education providers with education specialists. Proposal to deliver a pilot of the 'Try Childcare' program to provide employment readiness, training and placement to disadvantaged, diverse and marginalised groups who live in public housing whilst simultaneously providing qualified childcare teachers to the local community, specifically Kensington Community Children's Cooperative. - Code Like a Girl External link
Code Like a Girl's social mission is about increasing the representation of women and gender-diverse individuals in software engineering and technology roles within the Australian workforce. Funding to deliver "Diversity Dialogues", a program of engagements with CoM based employers and industry groups that will focus on connecting and introducing alternative approaches to recruit women into tech positions. - The Cheese Group Pty Ltd External link
This grant will assist The Cheese Group (trading as Ripe Cheese) to launch a social enterprise initiative called 'The Cheese Social' at the Queen Victoria Market to connect Australian migrants and international students with Australian culture. The program will teach participants about the importance of cheese in Australian food culture, whilst helping foster connections and support for those feeling isolated.
Circular Economy recipients
- Reground External link
Reground's vision and mission is to turn waste into a resource to create a waste free world. This project will develop The Circular Economy Exchange, a digital platform that will help businesses with office waste find circular economy businesses who will utilise this waste as a resource. - Wholefoods Unwrapped External link
Wholefoods Unwrapped reduces single-use packaging through the distribution of ethical wholefoods in reusable bulk containers to suppliers, and stainless steel containers to customers. This funded project will deliver zero-waste, zero packaging food relief packages to university students in the City of Melbourne. The grant funding will go towards the purchase of reusable containers and crates that can be returned in a closed loop system. - Upcycle Melbourne External link
Upcycle empowers individuals by providing them with a way to participate actively in the circular economy while addressing social and environmental challenges. The grant will enhance marketing efforts, website upgrades and partnerships, amplifying Upcycle's impact in diverting waste and promoting the circular economy to City of Melbourne residents. - Brainwave Australia External link
Brainwave Bikes receives, refurbishes and retails used bikes and donates bikes to low income and CALD families. The grant will enable Brainwave Bikes to have an ongoing presence in the City of Melbourne for sales, repairs and collections of abandoned bikes at the Purpose Precinct at QVM by part funding the cost of staffing the pop-up store on weekends. - City Compost Network
City Composting Network supports local communities to establish composting/food waste recycling systems on an individual and community level. The grant will fund activities to support the Circular Economy Precinct program and other areas within CoM where community participation and business circularity is to be improved. - Boomerang Labs External link
Boomerang Labs is Australia's first dedicated circular economy business accelerator program. Proposal is to deliver an online circular economy startup business accelerator program for the City of Melbourne. Boomerang Labs is looking to establish a stronger presence in Melbourne which will include in-person events for participants.
Open stream
- Kinaway/ KIN-Fashion
KIN Fashion will take up residence at Koorie Heritage Trust in Fed Square to promote and sell a Curated Collection of digitally printed 'Item Jackets' cut in quality textiles designed by First Nation Artists, as rentable high-end fashion.
- For Change Co.
For Change Co. exists to support young people out of the cycle of homelessness through employment and training in coffee making. - Villa Maria Catholic Homes
Establishing a hospitality cafe in East Melbourne providing work opportunities for people with disability to gain purposeful paid employment, training, and work readiness. - The Nicholas Building
For more than 40 years The Nicholas Building’s iconic art deco edifice situated in the heart of Melbourne has housed every sector of the creative industries. - Recova Wear
Recova Wear is working with the Parkville medical precinct to help to provide dignified and appropriate apparel for customers managing long term injury. - The Little Social
The Little Social is a social enterprise café of Youth Projects. Its revenue directly tackles underemployment for youth experiencing homelessness in Melbourne.
Circular Economy recipients
- City Compost Network
City Composting Network supports local communities to establish composting/food waste recycling systems on an individual and community level. - Wholefoods Unwrapped
Wholefoods Unwrapped reduces single-use packaging through the distribution of ethical wholefoods in reusable bulk containers to suppliers, and stainless steel containers to customers. Since inception in 2021, it has diverted 14.5 tonnes of waste from landfill using these practices. - Hanlen Australia
Hanlen Australia encourages customers to continue using their existing glasses frames and only replace them if their eye prescription changes, at an affordable price. It uses HOYA frame machines to cut new lenses to customers’ existing frames. - Brainwave Australia
Brainwave Bikes receives, refurbishes and retails used bikes and donates bikes to low income and CALD families. It does this to reduce landfill and provide affordable bikes for families. It also enables young people living with disabilities to transition to mainstream employment through structured work experience and accredited training.
More grant opportunities
Search a range of external grants and funding opportunities available to the City of Melbourne community, artists and businesses using the Funding Centre's SmartySearch grants tool.
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