UK Social Enterprise Awards
Welcome to the UK’s biggest celebration of social enterprises!
Each year, the UK Social Enterprise Awards shine a powerful spotlight on the pioneering organisations transforming lives and communities across the country. It’s more than just a celebration, it’s a moment to bring together this inspiring movement of businesses putting people and planet before profit and look back at all social enterprises have achieved in the last year.
The Awards are the most anticipated evening in the social enterprise calendar – a night where stories of impact, innovation and resilience take centre stage.
This year, the ceremony moves to a new home – the Queen Elizabeth Hall at London’s Southbank Centre, one of the country’s premier arts destinations and an engine of creativity, dedicated to growing the skills and creative careers of emerging talent.
Could your business be one of this year’s stars?
Apply for the Awards from 2 June
Entering the Awards is more than just a chance to win. It’s an opportunity to elevate your story, celebrate your team’s achievements, and showcase your impact to a national audience.
It’s easy to apply and you can save your application at any time and come back to it. So, what are you waiting for, apply and tell the world just how brilliant your social enterprise is!
Winners will be chosen by a distinguished panel of judges — a stellar line-up of sector leaders, past winners, academics, social investors, and business pioneers
Awards categories
Across every corner of the economy, social enterprises are transforming lives and reshaping the future — from small community-run ventures to high-impact public service providers, B2B businesses to mission-led consumer brands.
They’re creating jobs, tackling embedded inequalities and leading the way in operating sustainably. That’s why this year’s 15 award categories have been carefully curated to honour the breadth, diversity, and brilliance of the social enterprise movement — from bold new start-ups to established organisations delivering sustained impact year after year.
The Awards also spotlight those who champion the sector. The ‘Buy Social’ Market Builder Award recognises organisations helping social enterprises to grow and thrive, and the Social Investment Deal of the Year, celebrates an investment deal that has driven real, measurable change.
A spectacular new stage
After three unforgettable years at the Roundhouse, this year the celebration is moving to the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall for what will be the biggest and best Awards yet. It will be a night all about community, networking, and fun!
This year, we’re reimagining the Awards night itself — creating more space to connect, a vibrant theatre-style ceremony, and an atmosphere that is as inclusive, dynamic and full of energy as the movement it celebrates.
The Southbank Centre is the UK’s largest arts centre, occupying 11 acres along the river and its four venues anchor London’s most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames. It exists to present great cultural experiences that bring people together by providing the space for artists to create and present their best work and by creating a place where as many people as possible can come together to experience bold, unusual and eye-opening work. We’re proud to be working with this fabulous venue to host our flagship event.
Meet the winners of the UK Social Enterprise Awards 2024
The 2024 Awards took place in the heart of Camden at the Roundhouse, one of the capitals most iconic music venues. The ceremony brought together nearly 700 people for an evening of hope and inspiration.
The winners truly represented business at its best – from social enterprises creating opportunities for those facing barriers to work to those funding innovative solutions to the climate crisis, and from those selling gifts that give back to those tackling health inequalities – our award-winning businesses showcase how social enterprises are transforming lives across the UK. The overall Social Enterprise of the Year Award was won by The Workspace Group from Northern Ireland.
Support the movement – Become a sponsor
Help us put on a party for businesses using their profits to address disadvantage, inequality and sustainability. Sponsor our awards to show stakeholders that your company is committed to a fairer, more equitable world.
Your support helps us host a night that uplifts the sector, celebrates collective achievement, and sends a powerful message: that business can be a force for good.
Find out more about the sponsorship opportunities available to you in our sponsors pack.
A truly UK-wide celebration
We are pleased to be working with Cwmpas, Social Enterprise Northern Ireland and Social Enterprise Scotland to deliver the Awards.
If your organisation is situated in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, please apply directly to your national awards in the relevant category. Winners of these categories will then be sent to be shortlisted for the overall UK Awards.
If your social enterprise is applying for the Northern Irish, Scottish or Welsh awards, please note that the UK Awards contain additional categories not covered by individual national awards, so please do check our categories to see which works best for you.
Our 2025 Awards sponsors
Southbank Centre photos courtesy of Pete Woodhead and Garry Jones / Victor Frankowski