Impact Capital Australia (ICA) is a game-changer, specifically designed to accelerate development and achieve scale for impact investing in Australia. Its mandate is mobilising more capital and transforming the way Australia deals with social and environmental challenges. It was the flagship breakthrough action identified in the Australian Advisory Board on Impact Investing 2014 strategy, Delivering on Impact.
Rosemary Addis founded and Chairs Impact Capital Australia, a vehicle for the implementation of the impact wholesaler and leads the implementation effort with fellow directors, Simon Longstaff AO and Sally McCutchan, having also Chaired the working group of cross-sector leaders that designed the Blueprint for ICA.
ICA will put innovation for improved social and community outcomes on the agenda with a ground breaking combination capital and mission to create impact for society, with a unique mandate to encourage and support existing and new participants into the market for impact investing. It is designed to play two key roles: investor and market champion.
The investment activity focus will be predominantly wholesale, investing in vehicles being taken to market by others and supporting the growth of these intermediaries. Examples could include a fund to finance affordable accommodation for people with disabilities, a fund to invest in local communities and business to create jobs, or a social impact bond fund investing in innovations and prevention that improve social outcomes in areas such as early childhood development; type 2 diabetes; and training and employment outcomes for young people. As a market champion, ICA will originate impactful, innovative and scalable solutions to different social issues, along with ways of funding and financing them. It would be a proactive market builder to accelerate growth and impact by identifying opportunities
ICA makes an open invitation to Australian leaders from across government, the community sector and major financial institutions to join with those already involved in this process to bring the vision and intention behind ICA to reality.
In 2019 the Australian Government announced the Social Impact Investment Taskforce to consider measures to scale the market for impact investment. The Taskforce actively explored the wholesaler concept and a proposed Australian impact wholesale fund of at least $400 million featured in their interim report. The Government has not released the final report publicly.
The Taskforce members continue to advocate for this measure together with Impact Investing Australia: see the policy case in the 2021 & 2022 Budget Submissions.
