"Big Boost" Finalists Get Serious

Social Ventures Australia’s ‘Getting Serious’ stage of its BIG BOOST business-plan challenge is on track with the announcement of ten finalists who have already taken part in a two-day workshop in Sydney.

As Pro Bono Australia reported earlier this year (Vol 5 edition 9) SVA is an initiative to support social enterprise through the provision of resources, funding and business mentoring from its network of corporate and Not for Profit mentors.

SVA launched its’ $250,000 Big Boost with the help of the Chairman of the Clean Up Australia Foundation and Brownlow Medalist and co-founder of Reach Foundation, Jim Stynes.

The “SVA Big Boost” is a business plan challenge designed to encourage and support social entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions to entrenched social problems.

So the ten finalists are:

1. Women’s Circus- Women/Youth(VIC)
2. Big hART – Arts/Youth (National)
3. Pathways to Manhood – Family/Support (QLD)
4. Out of Redfern – Indigenous Fashion Enterprise (NSW)
5. Columba 1400 – Youth (VIC)
6. Greenfleet – Environmental (VIC)
7. ASeTTS-Connect 2 – Refugee Service (WA)
(Australian Support for Emigrant Survivors of Torture and Trauma),
8. Beacon Alliance – Youth/Employment (VIC/TAS)
9. Youth Lead – Youth/Environmental (NSW)
10. Can Do Internet – Digital Divide (SA)

SVA says Geraldine Doogue, Presenter, Life Matters ABC and David Bussau, Founder, Opportunity International (Australia) have agreed to participate on the Big Boost! judging panel along with the SVA Board.

The 10 finalist ventures will be required to present to the judging panel the week before the SVA Big Boost! A Finalist Dinner will be held on Tuesday 10 December, where up to five projects will be chosen for funding.

So how did the finalists get there? To help entrants make their ideas a reality, the Big Boost offered:

 A series of workshops to help educate social entrepreneurs on the business principles needed to run a successful venture.
 Management coaching for potential social entrepreneurs to help develop robust venture plans, develop business skills and create viable enterprises.
 Funding for selected ‘pattern-changing’ social ventures – to $250,000 in seed investment.

Established in 2002, SVA is the result of the pooled resources of The AMP Foundation, The Benevolent Society, The Smith Family and WorkVentures.

You can check out more about the finalists at www.socialventures.com.au.