Purpose
The ACT Social Enterprise Grant Program is back for Part 2 of the 2026 funding round, with $160,000 in matched funding available for eligible social enterprises and aspiring social entrepreneurs ready to grow their impact.
Overview
Delivered by The Mill House Ventures on behalf of the ACT Government, the program provides matched funding of $10,000 to $30,000 to help early-stage social enterprises grow sustainable businesses that create positive social, environmental and community outcomes.
This second application phase forms part of the 2026 ACT Social Enterprise Grant Program, with funding available for eligible applicants. The funding guidelines, assessment criteria and application process are available on this site.
The Program aims to achieve the following objectives:
- encourage growth and maturation of the local social enterprise ecosystem
- encourage ideation of new social entrepreneurs and attract new social entrepreneurs to the region
- strengthen and enhance the positioning of Canberra as a social innovation and entrepreneurial hub, and
- address systemic gaps in the ACT's social innovation ecosystem.
The Program seeks to complement existing programs and services. The Program is a competitive translational grant program, targeted at start-up social enterprises to address the market gap in funding between pre-revenue (seed) grant programs and the philanthropic, sponsorship and venture capital funding opportunities available to a scale-up social enterprise.
Eligibility
Any social enterprise applying for funding under the Program must:
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN) prior to application and be registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST) if applicable;
- be pre-revenue or be turning over less than $500,000 in annual revenue;
- have its registered office and principal place of business in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) or have its business primarily focussed (or operating) in the ACT; and
meet the programs definition of a Social Enterprise.
The following are not eligible to apply:
- government Business Entities (either Australian or foreign);
- national-level industry associations or groups (membership or non-membership);
- an individual or entity that has already received funding under this program; and
- any organisation that cannot meet the General eligibility criteria
Contact Details
Email: aseg@millhouseventures.com.au