| Queensland Social Enterprise Limited Ltd (QSEC) is a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) and represents ordinary and associate members. Our wonderful, democratically elected, QSEC Board of Directors comprises individuals who are passionate about Social Enterprise and actively working in the space to create impact. Meet our Board of Directors HERE.Our Vision QSEC supports a vibrant, innovative and capable social enterprise sector in QLD that is sufficiently resourced to achieve high social, cultural and environmental impact. Empowering impact. |
Our HistoryQSEC acknowledges that 'social enterprise' philosophy has been practiced through Indigenous endeavours on this land for centuries. The principles of exchange to generate broader community value are primarily a first-nations wisdom from which we have much to learn. QSEC recognises the land on which we stand has never been ceded and we respectfully work with Indigenous people across the state to learn and grow together. Social enterprise was developed as a term in the late 70's and has recently been gaining momentum across the globe. QSEC was the first representative peak body in Australia formed to assist social enterprise development. The group was established in 2012 and formed as an incorporated association in 2013 as the Queensland Social Enterprise Council (QSEC) to address the observed gaps in the sector's 'grassroots' representation. QSEC has been managed by a dedicated crew of volunteers, mostly social enterprise business operators and eco-system managers. As the sector has matured, the Queensland Government has now acknowledged the contribution social enterprises make in delivering jobs and training for disadvantaged Queenslanders. Queensland's first state-wide Social Enterprise Strategy was released in 2019, alongside a $1M commitment to help develop the sector. Part of the funds were directed toward QSEC to fund an executive officer and support staff to help manage the membership and direct effort to build the regional development of social enterprise. The Queensland Government released Australia's first $8m Social Enterprise Jobs Fund in 2020, which concludes in 2023. In 2022 the QSEC management committee transitioned from an Incorporated Association to a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) to further the governance maturity of the organisation and prepare for broadening of scope to work across the nation to advance social enterprise. The DefinitionWhy is social enterprise so hard to define? That's because there is no one way to solve the society's most difficult issues, and there is no one way to measure the impact of these organisations have when they do. Various organisations have come up with quantifiable definitions to certify and verify businesses claiming to work in the impact space. QSEC embraces all sizes, shapes and purposes with the single aim to empower impact-led businesses to deliver value to the community they serve. A social enterprise is a business that:
Our FutureThe future of social enterprise is clear: there should be no barriers to creating businesses which address the inherent social, cultural and environmental concerns of this nation. By joining QSEC, members have an opportunity to help direct the future success of social enterprise in Queensland. We believe that our combined and unified chorus is stronger than our individual voice, and we urge our members to engage with our activities, represent us at the government table, join our networks, and continue to learn and help us to spread the word so that social enterprise can flourish and grow in strength and resilience. QSEC has been highly influential in establishing a national voice for social enterprise: The Alliance for Social Enterprise Australia (ASENA) and Social Enterprise Australia (SEA). Both ASENA and SEA are working to develop a national strategy for social enterprise to address some of the barriers for business and create a movement across the country. QSEC has developed a ten year Strategic Vision to help guide the social enterprise sector in Queensland toward solutions beyond sustainability and ESG/CSR compliance . Download the 10 year Strategic Vision
QSEC Annual Reports 2022 Annual Report - download 2021 Annual Report - download 2020 Annual Report – download 2019 Annual Report – download |