Our clients are more than refugees and asylum seekers–they are Australia’s next business owners. When these aspiring refugee business owners reach our country’s shores, they bring with them a wealth of experience, skills, innovative ideas and the motivation to build fulfilling lives and livelihoods in a safe country.
However, running a business as a refugee in Australia can be a daunting task. Refugees do not share the same privileges and benefits as Australian citizens, so the legal and administrative process of starting up and funding a refugee-owned business can prove to be a huge challenge to these aspiring refugee business owners.
That’s where we come in. At Thrive, we help these refugee business owners to live their dreams, become financially independent and contribute to Australia’s economy and community. Thrive not only extends financial assistance, but also offers business support and mentoring to refugee-owned businesses to ensure their success throughout their tenure with Thrive.
Thrive supports a wide range of businesses and business owners in various industries, such as transportation, cleaning services, entertainment, building services and more. See our list of local businesses near you:
Education and Training1
Cleaning Services06
Food and Catering07
Interpretation Services01
Professional Services03
Trades and Construction18
Thrive supports refugees and asylum seekers who are motivated to become financially independent, with microfinance loans and mentoring for their new or existing businesses. You can contribute too by chossing to employ a Thrive supported business or entrepreneur.
On a 30-plus degree day in Carlingford, David is mowing lawns and cleaning out gutters. It's hot and tiring work, but for David, this is heaven. He arrived in Australia from Iran as a refugee in 2012, fleeing religious persecution, jail or worse for his Christian beliefs. David was an accountant in Iran but his qualifications aren't recognised in Australia.
The inaugural WSU Paddl Games held recently brought together a team of Western Sydney University students, academics and alumni, who worked with the Business team from EnergyAustralia to find an innovative solution to Parramatta-based Thrive Refugee Enterprise’s clients’ energy needs.
Thrive Refugee Enterprise (“Thrive”), a not for profit organisation that provides small loans and business support to refugees, will mark Refugee Week by showcasing its success stories across two events in Melbourne and Sydney called Thriving: A Showcase of Refugee Owned Businesses.
While it's easy for some in Australia to be approved for a credit card or loan, many new arrivals are met with challenges.
