Do You Have a Big Idea? Social Enterprise Competition Launched

A new competition that will challenge university students to come up with social enterprise ideas has been launched by The Big Issue.

The competition, ‘The Big Idea’, will involve a series of lectures, workshops and online seminars to help students develop their social enterprise ideas, according to Big Issue spokesperson Eszter Vasenszky.

“The idea must operate as a not-for-profit and generate work opportunities for homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people,” said Vasenszky.

“The competition itself will run as a social enterprise, with universities asked to take out subscriptions to The Big Issue magazine.”

The Big Issue has so far partnered with three universities for the competition: The University of New South Wales, Swinburne University of Technology, and the University of Woollongong. Vasensky said they hope to expand the competition to all Australian universities in future years.

Manager of the competition Sally Hines said the competition was a response to increasing demand from universities to engage with The Big Issue.

“This is a unique opportunity for students to learn both from a successful, long-standing social enterprise, and some of Australia’s most successful business and industry leaders as they develop an idea that could potentially go on to be delivered by The Big Issue to help disadvantaged Australians,” Hines said.

The competition will be judged by Big Issue CEO Steven Persson and Executive Chairman of Macquarie Group Simon McKeon, a former Australian of the Year for his work in the philanthropic and Not for Profit sectors.

Several other business and industry leaders will help to judge the competition, including Telstra CEO Andrew Penn. 

Other leaders involved with the competition are:

• Kris Neill – Executive Director, Macquarie Group Ltd, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations.
• Terrence Campbell AO – Senior Chairman, Goldman Sachs, Australia and New Zealand                            
• Sue Cato – Chief Executive Officer, Cato Counsel
• Julie White – Consultant, Former Head, Macquarie Group Foundation
• Cathy Truong – Executive officer, Trawalla Foundation, Women’s Leadership Institute                              
• Jane Kittell – Managing Director, BankSA
• Sean Barrett – Head of Foundation, Origin Foundation
• Geoff Lloyd – CEO, Perpetual