UK Social Enterprise Awards 2026

We’re delighted to reveal the shortlist for the UK Social Enterprise Awards! Co-produced by Social Enterprise UK and Co-operatives UK, the Awards are a celebration of everything that makes the social enterprise and co-operative movement so special. They showcase the strength, impact, diversity and innovation of these businesses which are changing lives, embedding sustainability into their operations and empowering communities up and down the country. The winners will be announced on 12 November in Manchester at New Century Hall in the heart of the city's co-operative district. Get your tickets to find out who's won and celebrate the achievements of this movement of business for good. CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS Meet this year's shortlist: UK Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by Keegan & Pennykid The overall award for a social enterprise that has a clear vision, excellence in impact, and that has demonstrated and promoted social enterprise beyond the sector. Belu Water Breadwinners Community Dental Service CIC Highland CIC Locala Community Partnership CIC/Locala Health & Wellbeing Standing Tall Unicorn Grocery One to Watch Award The One to Watch Award is for a start-up social enterprise. Key to winning this award is an ability to clearly articulate their future vision and how they are going to achieve it. Clean Slate Clinic Growing Me CIC Jaskulla Mentoring Ride Recycle Repeat Ltd The Hull Community Pub Society / The New Clarence Prove It: Social Impact Award For a social enterprise that can truly demonstrate and communicate their impact with their stakeholders. Breathe Arts Health Research Connection Crew + Stitch Firstport Migrateful The Skill Mill Limited ‘Buy Social’ Market Builder Award For a social enterprise, public sector body or private sector organisation that has demonstrably made efforts within its own organisation and remit to create more opportunities to buy from social enterprises. Bunzl Cleaning and Hygiene Supplies Compass Coop Freshfields Lyreco UK Ltd Mitie Limited Willmott Dixon Social Investment Deal of the Year For an organisation that has been part of a great investment deal in the last 12 months that has helped the social enterprise to grow or the movement as a whole to develop and flourish. Forest Schooling UK & Charities Aid Foundation Getting Clean & Postcode Innovation Trust (PIT) Micro Rainbow CIC & Esmee Fairbairn Foundation The Brick & Social And Sustainable Capital (SASC) The Reader & Livv Public Services Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by GLL For a social enterprise for whom the majority of their income comes from the public sector and which delivers public services (for central or local government, NHS, criminal justice or other statutory body). Active Prospects Community Dental Service CIC East Coast Community Healthcare Handcrafted Projects Turning Point Wellbeing Enterprise CIC Consumer Facing Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by GAIL’s For a social enterprise that delivers a retail product or service to the general public. Hey Girls CIC NEMI Teas True Origin Unicorn Grocery Yellow Submarine Y.O.U Underwear Education, Training & Jobs Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by PwC For a social enterprise in the education, training or employment sectors that can demonstrate excellence in vision and strategic direction, and clearly evidence their social, environmental and community impact. Breakthrough Social Enterprise Clean for Good Connection Crew + Stitch Migrateful Platfform Tap Social Movement Environmental Social Enterprise of the Year For a social enterprise in the green and environmental sector with a clear evidenced environmental impact. Amplify Goods Fruitful Office Remake Scotland Open Kitchen MCR PEC Trust (trading as Plymouth Energy Community) Seagulls Reuse Social Enterprise Building Diversity, Inclusion, Equity & Justice Award Social justice is fundamental to the social enterprise movement. This category is open to all social enterprises who are addressing issues around diversity, inclusion and equity. Breakthrough Social Enterprise Entrepreneurs Unlocked Foundervine Migrateful Tooting Works Social Enterprise Women’s Champion of the Year For a woman working in the senior leadership team of a social enterprise who represents excellence in her field of work. Lesley Sackey - Fight Forward CIC Lucy Hebberts - GINA, The Gina Project CIC Saskia Lighburn-Ritchie - MyCWA (Cheshsire Without Abuse) /Domestic Abuse Experts Oksana Kalala - New Arrivals Support CIC Cat Hyde - Seagulls Reuse Rebecca Smith - Social Enterprise Kent Areej AbuAli - Women in Tech SEO International Impact Award For a social enterprise working internationally, and which are having a big impact in their field. This award is open to UK-based organisations only with existing international operations. Fair Tax Foundation Foundervine OurCoop Social Enterprise World Forum CIC True Origin WildHearts Office Community-Based Social Enterprise of the Year This award is for a social enterprise that trades for the benefit of their community, making a real local impact. Baltic Creative CIC Breathe Arts Health Research Cumbria Health New Arrivals Support CIC Raised In CIC Social Enterprise Kent Social Enterprise Technology or Innovation of the Year Sponsored by Fusion21 This award open to social enterprises using new technology or bringing something innovative to the market in the past year. Change Please Hope 4 The Community CIC IDEMS International OurCoop Outcomes Star Co-op of the Year A new category this year, Co-op of the Year will recognise a co-operative of any size, model or type that best demonstrates a sustainable and successful business model, underpinned by the values and principles of co-operation.  EMERGE Recycling & Touch Wood Fram Farmers Signalise Co-op Stretford Public Hall The Channel Islands Co-operative Society limited Unicorn Grocery Sponsor the Awards The awards are an evening of many impact stories where founders, teams, patrons, buyers and policymakers come together to celebrate businesses that make purpose practical. If your organisation would like to align itself with this growing movement of mission-driven businesses, we have a range of sponsorship opportunities available. More information can be found in our sponsors pack.

The categories for the UK Social Enterprise Awards have been created to reflect the diversity within the social enterprise community. More information, including detailed category criteria, can be found on the application portal. Please note that for most of these awards, social enterprises need to have been trading for at least two years with the exception of the One to Watch Award. UK Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by Keegan & Pennykid The overall award for a social enterprise that has a clear vision, excellence in impact, and that has demonstrated and promoted social enterprise beyond the sector. One to Watch Award The One to Watch Award is for a social enterprise that has been operating for less than 2 years as of April 2026. Key to winning this award is an ability to clearly articulate their future vision and how they are going to achieve it. Prove It: Social Impact Award For a social enterprise that can truly demonstrate and communicate their impact with their stakeholders. This award is not comparing the scale of different enterprises’ impact, but their measurement and reporting process. ‘Buy Social’ Market Builder Award For a social enterprise, public sector body or private sector organisation that has demonstrably made efforts within its own organisation and remit to create more opportunities to buy from social enterprises. This could be a local authority implementing a council-wide Social Value Act strategy, a company changing its procurement processes, or a social enterprise seeking to support the movement through buying social. Social Investment Deal of the Year This is the award to enter if you have been part of a great investment deal in the last 12 months that has helped a social enterprise to grow, create deeper impact for your community or the movement as a whole to develop and flourish. Both the investee and investor will be recognised. Public Services Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by GLL For a social enterprise for whom the majority of their income comes from the public sector and which delivers public services (for central or local government, NHS, criminal justice or other statutory body). Consumer Facing Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by GAIL's For a social enterprise that delivers a retail product or service to the general public. Education, Training & Jobs Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by PwC For a social enterprise in the education, training or employment sectors that can demonstrate excellence in vision and strategic direction, and clearly evidence their social, environmental and community impact. Environmental Social Enterprise of the Year For a social enterprise in the green and environmental sector with a clear evidenced environmental impact. Social Enterprise Building Diversity, Inclusion, Equity & Justice Award Social justice is fundamental to the social enterprise movement. This category is open to all social enterprises who are addressing issues around diversity, inclusion and equity. Social Enterprise Women’s Champion of the Year For a woman working in the senior leadership team of a social enterprise who represents excellence in her field of work. International Impact Award For a social enterprise working internationally, and which are having a big impact in their field. This award is open to UK-based organisations only with existing international operations. Community-Based Social Enterprise of the Year Social enterprises are powerful actors in shaping local places and communities. Be it operating in remote rural communities or supporting in inner cities, this category is open to social enterprises that are locally rooted, trading for the benefit of their local community/place, accountable to their local community/place, and making local impact. Social Enterprise Technology or Innovation of the Year Sponsored by Fusion21 Social enterprises are more innovative than mainstream businesses – nearly three times as likely to have developed a new product or service in the past year than their mainstream business equivalents. This award open to social enterprises using new technology or bringing something innovative to the market in the past year. Co-op of the Year A new category this year, Co-op of the Year will recognise a co-operative of any size, model or type that best demonstrates a sustainable and successful business model, underpinned by the values and principles of co-operation.  The UK Social Enterprise Awards are co-produced by Social Enterprise UK and Co-operatives UK