Emerging Communities Incubator in Australia

The project in brief

Implemented by

HOST International

Country

Australia

Duration

Started 2019. This is a three year project and will end in June 2021. 

Project aims 

Empowering refugee communities to develop skills, resources and solutions to support their own communities.

Resources used

In 2018, HOST International has been successful in securing Australian government funding under the Settlement Engagement Transition program.  

This funding has enabled HOST to establish its work in South Australian Region. 

Partners

• Australian Government

• HOST International

• Adelaide Migrant Resource Centre 

• Australian Refugee Association 

• Techfugees 

• Konekt Employment Services 

• Welcoming Australia 

• Amazing Northern Multicultural Service

• Bhutanese Association of South Australia

Challenges and how they were overcome

Identifying and applying for funding and passing due diligence requirements has been a challenge, before the success in this funding round.  

Lack of trust by existing providers engaging with HOST as a new actor has been a challenge at the beginning of the program, however persistence and encouragement of HOST’s staff has resulted in overcoming these challenges.  

Results of the Good Practice 

The Emerging Communities Incubator helps new and emerging community groups and their leaders to fast-track the creation of sustainable community organisations which can support their communities effectively.

It works with groups in Adelaide, enabling communities to:

• become networked
• implement governance models
• develop leadership skills
• access resources in improving communities’ outcomes. 

How the project meets the GCR Objectives

The Project Emerging Communities Incubator meets:

• Objective 1: Ease the pressures on host countries
• Objective 2: Enhance refugee self-reliance

The Community Incubator provides:  

• a physical Hub as a central point for diverse communities to access 
• designated Coaches who provide leadership coaching, training and signposting to available     

Resources:

• a detailed assessment on entrance to the program and a customised business development plan 

• outreach work to build referrals into the Hub and raise awareness in local communities 

• a Mentoring Program where business volunteers are matched with community leaders to provide ongoing mentoring after exiting the program 

• an accessible Platform providing resources and information in relevant languages.  

The Emerging communities Incubator has provided opportunities for some of the most marginalised refugee communities to gain access to available resources. This has resulted in improving access to good practices around governance of the non-profit organisations. 

Key stakeholders have reinforced the need for a better way of empowering CALD Communities and have indicated they are in favour of HOSTS’s collaborative and refreshing approach to working ‘with communities’, not ‘for communities’ which is tailor-made to each community’s unique situation.

HOST is committed to facilitating sustainable outcomes with the communities we have engaged with.

Next steps 

Project Community Incubator will incorporate the learning from the first year of the delivery in planning the second year. Outcomes of the incubator model will be used to deliver similar work in other part of the country or globally.