Empowering small businesses and revitalising city spaces is a calling and a privilege for Renew Adelaide Chief Executive Gianna Murphy.
Since 2021, the local not-for-profit has helped more than 50 emerging businesses realise their ambitions by offering rent-free, short-term leases that enable entrepreneurs to test their business models without expensive overheads.
With renewed support from the Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA), Renew Adelaide expects to launch a further 50 businesses over the next three financial years.
AEDA’s 2025/26 Strategic Partnerships Program, will endow the organisation with $969,080 over three years to fuel job growth, innovation and business activity across the city.
“Our long-standing partnership with AEDA signifies a genuine dedication to supporting creative entrepreneurship across the city,” Ms Murphy, pictured below, says.
“This partnership amplifies Renew Adelaide’s ability to activate vacant spaces, support emerging businesses, and contribute to Adelaide’s economic and cultural vibrancy.”
A Renewed Future for City Businesses
As interest in doing business in the city continues to grow, Ms Murphy says many businesses turn to Renew Adelaide for support.
In August 2025 alone, Renew Adelaide will announcing five new office and studio tenancies in the Edments Building in Gawler Place, just off Rundle Mall, and seven more creative businesses for North Adelaide Railway Station.
In the last financial year, the organisation received a whopping 1,348 expressions of interest up 34 per cent in comparison to 2023/24.
They backed 18 ventures including Homeboy, Wine Flowers, Frida Las Vegas, Dulcie’s Vintage, VAN BRUSSEL (pictured below), Open Pantry Consulting and Cosmo’s Pizza, encouraging small businesses to think big.
The program generated 131 jobs for small businesses, with property owners contributing $427,282 worth of rent by offering up vacant spaces.
Ms Murphy is passionate about seeding a long-term future for the businesses under Renew Adelaide’s wing.
“Through enhanced business support services and a series of transformative seminars on topics such as commercial leasing, branding, and financial literacy, we aim to turn temporary activations into thriving contributions to the city’s vibrancy', Ms Murphy says.
Around 61 per cent of the businesses launched have gone on to graduate to commercial leases bringing long term social and economic benefits to the city.
Careful Curation Arms Businesses for Long-term Success
Understanding what makes Adelaide tick is the key to Renew Adelaide’s work.
It specialises in the evaluation of community needs, thoughtfully curating precincts to complement existing tenancies.
Ms Murphy recalls the now hugely successful revitalisation of the underutilised building ‘The Block’ on Hindmarsh Square/ Mukata.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Block’s Property Manager was struggling to lease a ground-floor tenancy because of its proximity to the medi-hotel next door.
They approached Renew Adelaide with a specific goal – to transition the micro-precinct into one that would cater for day-to-night trade, without creating competition for their other tenants.
Renew Adelaide delivered on the brief, placing LOC Bottle Bar in the space and kicking off a new chapter for the precinct, which is now a booming microcosm of small businesses.
“The revitalisation of the building over a four-year period shows the dramatic impact just one carefully selected tenant can have on a precinct. What was once a relatively under-activated building is now home to a diverse mix of creative businesses,” Ms Murphy says.
Renew Adelaide’s considered placements have allowed new businesses to take root in the precinct.
“Since 2016, 12 ventures have activated this space through our program, 11 of which graduated to commercial leases, (with) notable alumni (including) LOC Bottle Bar (pictured below) and Taboo Period Products.
“LOC expanded to open a second venue, Thelma, in the Adelaide Hills, proof of the growth potential our program creates.”
Primed for Success
Renew Adelaide output continues to grow through AEDA’s Strategic Partnerships Program.
The three-year funding commitment from AEDA ensures organisational stability, enabling Renew Adelaide to further invest in city businesses.
The funding, through the Strategic Partnerships Program, will help Renew Adelaide generate jobs, attract new businesses, activate precincts, and deepen the city’s global reputation.
“Renew Adelaide will continue its core mission of activating spaces in unique and creative ways, but this round of funding will elevate our impact by investing in the long-term success of emerging businesses,” Ms Murphy says.
The funding provides the scaffolding needed for the not-for-profit to strengthen their relationships with property owners and the community, and leading to the delivery of sustainable outcomes.
This long-term support allows the not-for-profit to move beyond short-term activations and invest in ventures who create diverse precincts and an interesting place to live, work and play.
“We'd like to thank AEDA for its ongoing investment in our work, and in local entrepreneurs,” Ms Murphy says.
“Its support is vital to putting South Australia on the map as a place that's recognised nationally and globally for its economic and cultural vibrancy.”
Find out more about AEDA’s Strategic Partnerships Program.
Images:
Hero: Renew Adelaide Team
Image 1: Renew Adelaide Chief Executive Gianna Murphy
Image 2: VAN BRUSSEL storefront
Image 3: LOC Bottle Bar