ASENA | Alliance of Social Enterprise Networks Australia

Alliance of Social Enterprise Networks Australia

Established in early 2020, ASENA is the national body for Australia’s State and Territory social enterprise networks.

Our vision

A just, inclusive and regenerative society that harnesses local strengths and collaborates to multiply our impact.

ASENA exists to

Create a space for leaders of State and Territory networks to collaborate so that they can amplify their impact, and reduce duplication and inefficiencies
Give credibility to the local State and Territory based networks
Provide a voice for practitioners in the social enterprise sector
Support engagement with national intermediaries and reduce fragmentation and duplication at the national level
Elevate the national social enterprise community by focussing on support for emerging jurisdictions
Understand and communicate the needs of social enterprises from across the nation, and work with Social Enterprise Australia to advocate for national awareness and support of social enterprise

Our principles

Collaboration: Working together, we are greater than the sum of our parts
Awareness: This is a place for community and social entrepreneurship and equity, not for old structures, hidden agendas hierarchies, parochialism or self-interest
Diversity and symbiosis: Local strengths drive the national and global movement, and we respect the independence and autonomy of our parts
Intention-oriented: We identify specific national opportunities that will achieve our goals, then empower those with capacity to drive results
Commons: We identify, share and cultivate the commons as the base of the whole ecosystem
Promotion in partnership: Giving legitimacy and active support to each State/Territory’s initiatives through a national public platform, building awareness and a united presence.
Inclusion: We recognise that people in our community may be at different stages in the social enterprise journey and welcome them into our spaces.

ASENA will

Bring together the leaders of Australia’s State and Territory networks in regular forums
Identify and initiate opportunities for collaboration and pursue those with collective agreement and support (see Collab Committees below), including, but not limited to;
1. Collective learning and sharing
2. Advocacy (with a focus on practitioner-led consultation)
3. Connection and events
4. Policy & Research exchange
Develop collab committees in order to conduct collaboration work together
Support State and Territory networks to grow their membership, enhance member value proposition and engage with members more deeply on a wider variety of interests/needs.
Mobilise resources at the national level to enable the emerging networks to stand as equals.

Who does ASENA represent?

Social Enterprise Network Victoria (SENVIC) | Social Enterprise Council of NSW and ACT (SECNA) | Queensland Social Enterprise Council (QSEC) | South Australian Social Enterprise Council (SASEC) | Western Australia Social Enterprise Council (WASEC) | Social Enterprise Network of Northern Territory (Impact North) | Social Enterprise Network of Tasmania (SENTAS)

Alliance Members:

For more information on ASENA, please contact hello@asena.org.au, follow our Linkedin page below, or click on the links above to visit our state based member’s organisations.

11 April 2022 – Federal Election Campaign

The Australian federal government will go to the polls on 21 May 2022. The election provides the opportunity for all the state networks (QSEC, SASEC, SECNA, SENVIC, Impact North, WASEC, SENTAS) to put social enterprise on the federal election agenda through our national body, the Alliance of Social Enterprise Networks Australia (ASENA).

For Federal Election Candidates – click here

For the Social Enterprise Community – click here.

13th July 2021 – MEDIA RELEASE: Development of Australia’s First Social Enterprise National Strategy (SENS)

There are thousands of social enterprises around Australia. But the sector is fragmented and underserved at a time where its more critical than ever to accelerate the transition to an impact economy that serves all. That’s why over the past 12 months ASENA has been collaborating with a national Advisory Group towards development of the SENS (Social Enterprise National Strategy).

26-May 2020 – MEDIA RELEASE: New National Voice from the future – Launch of the Alliance of Social Enterprise Networks Australia (ASENA)

2020 has seen disruption to ‘business-as-usual’ in a way that most of us haven’t experienced in our lifetimes. At this time of unprecedented social and economic change, social enterprise networks in each State and Territory have united to build a common vision for a better future and form a new national voice for the social enterprise sector – the Alliance of Social Enterprise Networks Australia (ASENA).

Social enterprises have the capacity to address both social and economic change at the same time through the power of the market.

ASENA’s first action is to call for the creation of a National Social Enterprise Strategy, following the approach of enabling governments in the United Kingdom, Canada and many others. Today, ASENA publishes its submission to the Prime Minister’s Social Impact Investing Taskforce calling for a 10 year plan to create a thriving social enterprise community in Australia.. (click here for full release)

26 May 2020 – Click Here to Download the ASENA Launch Announcement

26 May 2020 – Click Here to Download ASENA Submission to the Social Impact Investing Taskforce

About ASENA

Established in early 2020, ASENA is the peak body for social enterprise nationally, representing an alliance between Australia’s seven state and territory social enterprise networks. ASENA exists to work for and with the sector on principles of cooperation and collaboration – a strong, united voice representing the interests of Australia’s social enterprise sector.

We envision and seek to build thriving social enterprise communities through sector leadership, advocacy, networking and learning and development opportunities.

Who does ASENA represent?
Social Enterprise Network Victoria (SENVIC), Social Enterprise Council of NSW and ACT (SECNA), Queensland Social Enterprise Council (QSEC), South Australian Social Enterprise Council (SASEC), Western Australia Social Enterprise Council (WASEC), Social Enterprise Network of Northern Territory (Impact North), Social Enterprise Network of Tasmania (emerging).