Key Dates
31 March 2023
REJUVENATE commences
May – June 2023
Workshops + webinars
9 June – 16 July 2023
Call for accelerator applications
early August 2023
Accelerator cohort announced
mid August 2023
Onboarding and pre-work for accelerator
4 – 8 September 2023
Accelerator forum held at Old Beechworth Gaol
Early June 2024
Rejuvenate showcase
About REJUVENATE
Open new doors of opportunity for your rural community
- Can you see a way to fix a local problem or create an opportunity for your rural community but don’t know where to start?
- Are you hungry to learn from other rural communities who are building a new future from within?
- Do you want to find ways to balance a community and business model?
Welcome to REJUVENATE – a new way of connecting, supporting, and guiding rural people who want to build and sustain community-led initiatives that address a local problem or create an opportunity.
Designed by ACRE using world-best practice, REJUVENATE brings global and local knowledge, know-how and networks together to walk alongside communities determined to find a better way.
How REJUVENATE works
Bring your community-led initiative to life
REJUVENATE is not a course. It is about developing a new mindset, new skills, new behaviours and new trusted networks. At each stage, people will be supported with facilitated discussions, practical resources and offered access to skills, knowledge and know-how to bring community-led initiatives to life.
BE INSPIRED
Join a series of online conversations to meet and hear from rural people who are behind community-led initiatives that are offering employment opportunities for locals, addressing environmental challenges, ensuring ongoing supply of vital services for rural communities, boosting wellbeing for locals and generating tourism revenue.
CONNECT & LEARN
Join a face-to face workshop to meet other people in your community who are also developing initiatives to address a problem or create an opportunity. Explore different models of rural entrepreneurship, including social enterprise and community-asset ownership and start identifying essential foundations needed to bring a community-led initiative to life or take an existing initiative to a new level.
GO DEEPER
Be part of Australia’s first dedicated accelerator and capacity building program for community-led initiatives, running from September 2023 – May 2024.
Registrations for the REJUVENATE Accelerator are now open and close at 6pm on 16 July 2023. Head here for more details.
RECONNECT & REFLECT
Contribute to benchmarking and mapping that will help build understanding about what resources and assets are available to support community-led initiatives in your Local Government Area and what gaps might need to be addressed.
Key benefits
What you will get out of REJUVENATE
It’s time to move away from doing things to rural communities and instead find ways to work with and alongside rural communities to open doors of opportunity. Community-led rejuvenation is the key. By building entrepreneurial capability and capacity we can release new opportunities to rejuvenate rural communities. The power of place is here to stay as rural communities demand long-term solutions to the complex issues they face.
By joining REJUVENATE you can:
- explore ways that rural communities in Australia and across the globe are using community-led initiatives to create and build a new future
- discover how to use enterprise models to start, sustain and grow a community-led initiative
- baseline and benchmark the strengths and assets in your community and identify gaps
- discuss and identify what might work for and in your community
- understand the possibilities for your community and the barriers you may face
- share the story of your community with others who are interested in community-led approaches to change
- join immersive learning opportunities with Social Enterprise Academy, ACRE’s international learning and development partner
Our commitment to you
A journey partnership
REJUVENATE is not a course! It is about developing a new mindset, new skills, new behaviour and new trusted networks. At each stage of REJUVENATE, you will be supported with facilitated discussions, practical resources and offered access to skills, knowledge and know-how to bring your community-led initiative to life.
By joining REJUVENATE, you will be:
- introduced to a dynamic network of social entrepreneurs who will unpack what it takes to lead and grow a community-led initiative – the good, the bad, the tricky
- exposed to new ways of thinking about rural entrepreneurship, social enterprise and community buy-backs
- asked to reflect and explore tricky questions to help you build strong foundations and clarifying your purpose and impact. You will explore governance, techniques for building support for your initiative, managing growth and identifying untapped resources
- offered independent guidance and support to launch and grow your community-led initiative.
If you want to be part of the REJUVENATE accelerator, here’s our eligibility criteria. It’s pretty straight-forward:
- you understand the problem you want to solve or the opportunity you want to create for your rural community
- you can identify how the community-led initiative you plan to start or grow will benefit your community
- you can commit time and energy by attending onboarding and preparation (approximately eight hours), an in person Forum at Old Beechworth Gaol (4-8 September) and actively contributing to a follow up capacity building program (minimum of three hours per month)
- a team of at least two is recommended to help pollinate and grow your initiative
- you can apply from anywhere across these Local Government Areas in Victoria: Alpine, East Gippsland, Indigo, Towong, Wangaratta, and Wodonga.
Traits we’re looking for:
- willing to learn and accept guidance and feedback
- good communication skills
- great listeners
- ability to work at pace and with agility
- strong team work skills
Interested?
Register your interest here and we’ll keep you updated.
Who is behind REJUVENATE?
Established in 2013, ACRE ‘s purpose is to drive the renewal of rural communities so that future generations can thrive. ACRE has more than a decade of experience working alongside rural communities who want to thrive.
Social Enterprise Academy is ACRE’s learning and development partner.
Australian National University (ANU) is partnering with ACRE to baseline and track change across the Local Government Areas that are part of REJUVENATE. Together we will research the role social cohesion plays in building new localised rural economies. In particular, we are focusing on community led rejuvenation through social connectedness and enterprise development.
Like to know more about REJUVENATE?
Frequently asked questions
What is REJUVENATE aiming to do?
REJUVENATE is a new way of connecting, supporting, and guiding rural people who want to build and sustain community-led initiatives that address a local problem or create an opportunity. It is about developing a new mindset, new skills, and new trusted networks. At each stage of REJUVENATE you will be supported with facilitated discussions, practical resources and offered access to skills, knowledge and know-how to bring your community-led initiative to life or grow it to a new level.
What is a community-led initiative?
Community-led initiatives arise whenever people self-organise in the places where they live to take action on issues that concern them.
Where is REJUVENATE being offered?
In 2023 REJUVENATE will seek to unearth, support and accelerate community-led initiatives in East Gippsland and North East Victoria. Thanks to funding from Emergency Recovery Victoria. REJUVENATE is being offered across six Local Government Areas: Alpine, East Gippsland, Indigo, Towong, Wangaratta, and Wodonga.
What is the cost of taking part?
Thanks to funding support from Emergency Response Victoria, there is no cost to join the monthly online conversation series, local workshops or benchmarking activities being offered through REJUVENATE.
If your community-led initiative is selected for the accelerator and capacity-building program, you will be required to fund travel to Beechworth to attend an immersive forum from 4-8 September 2023. All accommodation, meals, and resources will be provided at no cost to you.
Is there prize money or grant funding attached to REJUVENATE?
There is currently no direct funding associated with the program.
What does the accelerator program include?
The accelerator program includes
- introductions to expert mentors and advisers and reflection opportunities.
- October 2023 – May 2024: Monthly capacity building and coaching sessions to encourage problem-solving and planning that will generate momentum for your community-led initiative
- June 2024: Digital showcase where you can share story of initiative with others who are interested in community-led approaches to change
Who will see the details of registrations for the accelerator?
All registrations received will be reviewed by an assessment panel convened by ACRE. Panel members will have expertise in rural entrepreneurship, coaching and social impact. The information in registrations will remain confidential and is restricted to the assessment panel.
If selected for the Accelerator, do we need to relocate to Beechworth?
The short answer: No. Relocation on a full time basis is not required. However in-person attendance of two representatives from your community-led initiative at an initial Forum in Beechworth from 4-8 September 2023 is essential.
The Forum will take place in a dedicated space located within The Old Beechworth Gaol, Beechworth in North East Victoria. The headquarters of the Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE) is also located within the Old Beechworth Gaol. After the Forum, ongoing coaching and mentoring program will be delivered via mixed mode – with a mix of digital opportunities and face-to-face meet ups.
Contact us
If you have additional questions please email info@acre.org.au or leave a voice mail on 03 5728 2916