Social Enterprise
Social enterprise is the term that describes the growing number of businesses being set up that have either been set up for a social purpose, or are democratically owned or are based on ethics. The people setting up these social enterprises are calling themselves social entrepreneurs.
Social enterprise and social entrepreneurship has become the biggest growing movement in Europe in the past decade. In the UK for example from a handful of social enterprises attending the first social enterprise conference in 1994 the UK Cabinet Office in 2013 claimed that there are over 688,000 such enterprises. For a definition of social enterprise please see Social enterprise definition
In times when State controlled economies have failed, when the financial crisis showed that the market economy is flawed and as a consequence funding for third sector activity has been throttled social enterprise represents a new way of both business and social activity that succeeds because:
Trading rather than grant reliance is the main function
Social entrepreneurial culture introduces more risk taking and less bureaucracy
Profits are re-invested into the enterprise
Workers and volunteers are often co-owners and have increased motivation
Customers buy into the added social value and remain loyal
Many social enterprises have the support of their local community
Financial support from the State is based on proving social impact
Social Enterprise networks create a supportive rather than competitive community fostering cooperation and collaboration between social enterprises
Many social enterprises embrace social innovation to their advantage
More inclusive governance and management systems can make them better decision makers
In this particular project the relevance of social enterprise is three fold:
There are opportunities for those with learning difficulties to establish their own social enterprise instead of relying on someone else to employ them. Case Study Mi Enterprise
Those supporting people with learning difficulties can move from State or NGO to become independent social enterprises Case study CASA
Social enterprises can be set up to create revenue that will support the work of existing support organisations Case Study Age UK enterprises Ltd
Lessons can also be learnt from Social Cooperatives such as Cooss Marche and from organisations promoting the employment of disabled people Social firms UK
The role of Social Enterprise Europe Ltd in this partnership is to make social enterprise relevant to this project. For more information about social enterprise please contact Social Enterprise Europe Ltd
Social enterprise and social entrepreneurship has become the biggest growing movement in Europe in the past decade. In the UK for example from a handful of social enterprises attending the first social enterprise conference in 1994 the UK Cabinet Office in 2013 claimed that there are over 688,000 such enterprises. For a definition of social enterprise please see Social enterprise definition
In times when State controlled economies have failed, when the financial crisis showed that the market economy is flawed and as a consequence funding for third sector activity has been throttled social enterprise represents a new way of both business and social activity that succeeds because:
Trading rather than grant reliance is the main function
Social entrepreneurial culture introduces more risk taking and less bureaucracy
Profits are re-invested into the enterprise
Workers and volunteers are often co-owners and have increased motivation
Customers buy into the added social value and remain loyal
Many social enterprises have the support of their local community
Financial support from the State is based on proving social impact
Social Enterprise networks create a supportive rather than competitive community fostering cooperation and collaboration between social enterprises
Many social enterprises embrace social innovation to their advantage
More inclusive governance and management systems can make them better decision makers
In this particular project the relevance of social enterprise is three fold:
There are opportunities for those with learning difficulties to establish their own social enterprise instead of relying on someone else to employ them. Case Study Mi Enterprise
Those supporting people with learning difficulties can move from State or NGO to become independent social enterprises Case study CASA
Social enterprises can be set up to create revenue that will support the work of existing support organisations Case Study Age UK enterprises Ltd
Lessons can also be learnt from Social Cooperatives such as Cooss Marche and from organisations promoting the employment of disabled people Social firms UK
The role of Social Enterprise Europe Ltd in this partnership is to make social enterprise relevant to this project. For more information about social enterprise please contact Social Enterprise Europe Ltd