In August this year, FoodLab Sydney was proudly nominated as a finalist in the Research Commercialisation category of the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Awards, one of the most prestigious recognitions for innovation and impact in higher education. While the organisation did not ultimately take out the award, being named a finalist is a significant achievement that reflects the relevance and growing influence of FoodLab’s work in advancing equity through food enterprise. This national recognition highlights the organisation’s growing impact within Australia’s social innovation landscape and affirms the importance of its mission to address structural barriers to entrepreneurship.

Founded in 2022, FoodLab Sydney grew out of research that began at the Sydney Environment Institute in 2019, aiming to support food entrepreneurs from refugee, migrant, First Nations, and low-income backgrounds. The initiative emerged from a collaboration between the University of Sydney, TAFE NSW, City of Sydney, and FoodLab Detroit, responding directly to research on the systemic challenges culturally diverse entrepreneurs face—limited access to capital, complex regulations, and exclusion from professional networks.

FoodLab’s model combines training, infrastructure, and employment. Participants complete a six-month curriculum covering food safety, financial literacy, marketing, and legal compliance. Graduates gain subsidised access to commercial kitchen space and opportunities for paid employment through FoodLab’s catering enterprise. This integrated approach enables participants to build viable businesses while gaining hands-on professional experience.

Since becoming a registered charity, FoodLab has supported two cohorts totalling twenty participants, who have collectively created thirty-nine jobs and growing. These outcomes demonstrate the program’s capacity to foster economic empowerment, skill development, and community resilience. Participants report increased confidence, improved quality of life, and a stronger sense of social inclusion. 

The organisation’s success is grounded in its responsiveness to community needs. Program design is shaped by participant feedback, and resources are adapted to meet linguistic and cultural diversity. FoodLab partners with over 50 professionals and institutions, including chefs, legal experts, and corporate donors, while its leadership and board bring deep expertise in business, law, hospitality, and social enterprise.

Looking ahead, FoodLab plans to expand operations with a second kitchen in Parramatta, a ready-meal product line, and satellite training hubs. These initiatives aim to improve program accessibility, diversify revenue streams, and strengthen long-term sustainability.

FoodLab Sydney demonstrates how place-based, research-informed interventions can address structural inequities in the food economy. Its work supports a more inclusive and culturally diverse entrepreneurial landscape and offers a model for replicable social innovation in both metropolitan and regional contexts.