There is a need to rapidly accelerate change in rural Australia to alleviate disadvantage.
In partnership with Social Enterprise Network Victoria (SENVIC) and endorsed by Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF), ACRE is calling for the co-design of a Rural Social Enterprise Network for Australia – a unified effort to continue the Manifesto’s call for transformative change in rural areas.
Campaign update – 11 March 2026
In September 2024, the Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE), together with Social Enterprise Network Victoria (SENVIC) and endorsed by the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF), launched a campaign calling for the co-design of a rural social enterprise network for Australia.
110 people from across the ecosystem – social entrepreneurs and their customers, enablers, researchers and intermediaries – from every State and Territory added their voice to the call.
By adding your name, your voice and your support, you helped demonstrate that there is a strong, shared appetite for connection, coordination and visibility for rural social enterprise. That demand has been heard, and it has made a difference.
Social Enterprise Australia (SEA) has committed to convene and co-design the network. This approach will help ensure the network is both nationally embedded and locally informed – a space that connects rural social entrepreneurs and strengthens our collective voice.
This is a great outcome and would not have been possible without you.
There will be more information to come soon about next steps, including how people can engage, contribute and stay connected as the Network takes shape.
For now, we simply wanted to say thank you – for backing the idea, for trusting the process, and for helping shift this from an advocacy campaign into something real.
