UK Social Enterprise Awards 2026
Each year, the UK Social Enterprise Awards shine a powerful spotlight on the pioneering organisations transforming lives and communities across the country. This year, the Awards are back but with a difference.
For the first time, we’re taking the celebrations out of London and are heading to a city with a deep connection to the social enterprise movement and the fight for social justice – Manchester!
The UK Social Enterprise Awards 2026 will take place on 12 November and will be co-produced with Co-operatives UK, the network for the nation’s co-operatives and a vital organisation in the push for a better way of doing business.
Following on from last year’s ‘Festival of Hope’, this year’s theme will be ‘All Together Now’, capturing the spirit of unity, co-operation and community that is at the heart of our network.
As societal division is on the ascendancy, the Awards will be a call for unity and practical collaboration – celebrating the inspiring organisations that are showing us that strong community ties overcome division and that another, better way of doing business is possible.
APPLICATIONS FOR THE AWARDS HAVE NOW CLOSED. TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE SHORTLY!
Why Manchester and why now?
In 1844 in Rochdale, near Manchester, a group of artisans working in the cotton mills fought to tackle the awful working conditions and low wages they and their fellow workers faced. They pooled their resources and opened the first-ever consumer co-operative, providing everyday essentials at an affordable price. The Rochdale Pioneers created a new model of doing business based on ownership and profit sharing – the co-operative movement was born.
Since then, Greater Manchester has been at the heart of it, and there’s no better place to celebrate co-operation over division and unity over hate than in the city that’s been so central to the social enterprise story.
This year’s ceremony will take place at New Century Hall in the city’s Co-operative Quarter, a venue full of live music memories from Hendrix and the Stones to the Madchester era!
Meet last year’s winners
Joy, unity, hope and resistance – these were the themes of last year’s Festival of Hope, and the winners really showed how these attributes are at the heart of the social enterprise sector.
From creating life-changing jobs for people experiencing homelessness or leaving prison to supporting those affected by conflict, delivering people-powered public services to breaking down barriers to access – these businesses show the power of social enterprises in tackling some of the biggest challenges we face in ways which are innovative, entrepreneurial and rooted in communities.
Find out more about the social enterprises that won at the UK Social Enterprise Awards 2025.
Support the movement as an Awards sponsor
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.
By becoming a sponsor, you will enhance your brand by benefiting from the wide reach of both partners and give a national stage for your business to stand with the hundreds of innovators working tirelessly to prove that ownership, procurement, governance, social value and community wealth can be built into the way business works.
If you’d like to find out more about sponsoring this year’s Awards check out our sponsors pack below or email sarah.burns@socialenterprise.org.uk
The UK Social Enterprise Awards 2026 are brought to you by Social Enterprise UK and Co-operatives UK
We are pleased to be working with Cwmpas, Social Enterprise Northern Ireland and Social Enterprise Scotland to deliver the Awards.
Our current UK Social Enterprise Awards sponsors