Social Enterprise Collective of Tasmania
SECTAS is the peak body for social enterprise in Tasmania. We connect Tasmanian social enterprises and supporters, help them grow, and uplift the whole sector so that business can be a genuine force for good.
In our first year we’ve welcomed members from Hobart to Launceston, Devonport to Burnie, supported Tasmanian social enterprises through verification, brought people together at events around the state, and carried Tasmanian voices into national conversations. There’s real momentum here, and a place for you in it.
Tasmanian social enterprise:
a sector with real strength
Tasmania’s social enterprises are some of the most creative, community-rooted businesses in the state. From ethical retail and hospitality to circular economy initiatives and enterprises creating employment pathways, they create jobs, tackle real challenges, and care for people and place, all while running successful, trading businesses.
That’s the strength we’re here to build on. SECTAS exists to connect social enterprises in Tasmania to each other and to opportunity, support them with resources and insight, and uplift their impact right across the island, from Hobart to Launceston and the Huon Valley to the North-West Coast. We don’t do this for the sector. We do it with it.
Social enterprise in Tasmania:
where we’re at, 14 months in
- +20 members across Tasmania, including verified social enterprises, associate members and supporters
- New Tasmanian social enterprises verified to the People and Planet First global standard and/or Social Traders, with more in the pipeline
- Events across Tasmania, in person and online, connecting our community
- A seat at the national table, including the national social enterprise research steering committee, so Tasmania helps shape the bigger picture
This is what happens when we connect, support and uplift, together.
Come and Hang Out With Us
We’re passionate about bringing people together – not just our social enterprises, but also supporters, business leaders, community champions and those who are curious, as we know social enterprise works best when we all working together. From meetups to introductions to social enterprise fundamentals and more – we’d love to have you spend some time with our inspiring and impactful community.
Our Focus Areas
Connect: sharing knowledge across Tasmania’s social enterprise sector
Support: a united voice for social enterprise in Tasmania
When social enterprises speak together, people listen. SECTAS supports the sector with a clear, united voice in Tasmania, from helping shape social enterprise content with Business Tasmania, to representing Tasmanian social enterprises in national conversations like the employment services review and the national social enterprise research project. We’re here to make sure social enterprise is recognised as a serious, valued part of Tasmania’s economy.
Uplift: celebrating the impact of Tasmanian social enterprises
Social enterprises are changing lives and landscapes right across Tasmania, creating employment pathways, strengthening communities, and caring for the environment. SECTAS exists to uplift that impact and make it visible. Through storytelling, events and connection, we shine a light on the Tasmanian social enterprises and people making real, tangible change every day.
Why Social Enterprise Matters to Tasmania
Tasmania is built on resilience, innovation, and community. Social enterprises embody these values, offering sustainable business models that reinvest in people and the planet. As the state faces challenges such as economic disparity, environmental concerns, and workforce shortages, social enterprise presents a bold, hopeful way forward.
The impact of social enterprise is not just local—it’s global. According to the Schwab Foundation’s Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship, there are approximately 10 million social enterprises worldwide, generating around $2 trillion in annual revenue and employing over 200 million people—accounting for 6% of the global formal workforce. These enterprises have positively impacted more than 891 million lives over the past 25 years. Social enterprises are tackling global challenges head-on, and Tasmania has the opportunity to be a leader in this movement.
By fostering a strong social enterprise sector, we can:
- Boost regional economies by creating sustainable businesses in towns and rural communities.
- Tackle social challenges such as unemployment, housing insecurity, and mental health through mission-driven business models.
- Lead environmental change by championing sustainable practices, circular economy principles, and responsible resource management.
As social enterprises around the world gain momentum, Tasmania must seize the opportunity to position itself as a hub for impact-driven business, ensuring that our communities and economy benefit from this growing movement.
And here in Tasmania?
Social enterprise in Tasmania is already taking root. Our verified social enterprises are growing in number, new social enterprises are opening their doors, and more people than ever are choosing to put people and planet first. Tasmania has a genuine opportunity to lead this movement, and by connecting, supporting and uplifting each other, we’re getting on with it.
Who is Behind SECTAS?
Building on the work of SENTAS, trailblazed by Paul Quilliam, we focused our next phase on connecting, supporting and uplifting the sector through local leadership and collective action. That evolution brought a new name, SECTAS, the Social Enterprise Collective of Tasmania, and the launch of membership, which is now open and growing.
As members gather and help us set the direction, we have four key elements in making this organisation everything it needs to be for Tasmania.
Members First
Steering Committee
Our direction is guided by a Steering Committee of members who’ve stepped up to help lead. They bring lived experience, strategic insight and a genuine passion for the sector, and they make sure member voices shape our work, here in Tasmania and in national conversations. We’re always glad to welcome more voices around the table, especially from beyond Hobart.
Governance
The Social Enterprise Collective of Tasmania is underpinned by Social Enterprise Australia’s governance. While we will follow the code of conduct and be good humans, this support reduces our focus on governance matters – and helps us to ensure every effort is focused on helping Tasmanian social enterprises.
Secretariat
Local impact and business advisory organisation The van Diemen Project are helping with the essential admin for the Social Enterprise Collective of Tasmania, helping reduce overheads and meaning more funds are directed to support social enterprises and our needs across Tasmania.
A Collective of Changemakers – Join Us!
We are a collective of social entrepreneurs, impact-driven businesses, and supporters of good business who know that we are stronger together. We believe in the power of collaboration, in lifting each other up, and in pushing forward a movement where business success is measured not just in dollars, but in the positive impact it creates for communities and the planet.
We’re building this membership together with our members, and we keep evolving it so it delivers real value: connecting more of Tasmania’s social enterprise sector, supporting social and environmental justice, and uplifting the networks that drive big-picture change across the state.
By joining our community, you become part of something bigger—a movement that is reshaping the way business is done in Tasmania. Whether you’re an established social enterprise in Launceston, a new initiative in the Huon Valley, or an individual passionate about impact, SECTAS welcomes you.
Get in Touch. Get Involved.
Social enterprise is not a trend—it’s the future. SECTAS is here to ensure that Tasmania leads the way in embracing this powerful movement.
Together, we can drive the change we want to see, ensuring that ethical, sustainable, and socially impactful business becomes the norm—not the exception.
Join us. Stand with us. Let’s build a future where business is a force for good, where impact is at the heart of every enterprise, and where Tasmania leads the way in making social enterprise business as usual.