Thought Leadership

By Peter Holbrook - Group Chief Executive, Social Enterprise UK New Philanthropy Capital's Impact UK report has sparked an important national conversation. Its headline figure - £428bn of gross value added, roughly 15% of GDP -gives the impact economy the visibility and scale that policymakers and markets understand. This is valuable work that should be celebrated. But the boundary-drawing behind that number deserves closer scrutiny. How we define the impact economy shapes who gets seen, who gets financed, and ultimately, who benefits from growth. And right now, that definition risks privileging investor-compatible models over democratic ownership structures - in ways that contradict the report's own stated principles. The definitional problem NPC defines the impact economy as "an ecosystem of individuals, organisations, and capital intending to prioritise public benefit over private gain." This is a clear, useful definition. The puzzle is how it's been applied. NPC's researchers have clarified that they included co-operatives and employee-owned businesses deemed "impact-led" based on intentionality, rather than including them by default. Meanwhile, many B Corps - private companies legally structured to prioritise shareholder interests - were included. Consider the contradiction: under Companies Act s172, directors must promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members (shareholders). The Supreme Court forcefully reiterated this in Sequana. B Corp certification raises standards and transparency, but it cannot override fiduciary duty. When profit and purpose collide, shareholder primacy still frames the decision. Many B Corps are excellent businesses, but structurally they remain oriented toward private gain, not public benefit. By contrast, worker co-operatives and employee-owned businesses are legally structured to share surplus among workers, not extract it to external shareholders. Community benefit societies anchor assets for public benefit. Community Interest Companies have asset locks preventing private extraction. These structures embody "public benefit over private gain" by design, not aspiration. So why must democratic ownership models prove their impact credentials while investor-owned models are accepted on stated intent? This double standard matters because it shapes the entire policy architecture being built around the impact economy. Policy architecture The Government's new Office for the Impact Economy represents a significant opportunity. As a central 'front door' for philanthropists, impact investors, and purpose-led businesses, it can accelerate collaboration and unlock capital for communities. But architecture shapes outcomes. A front door designed primarily around investment will naturally privilege investable vehicles - conventional companies and project structures that fit standard risk-return profiles - over democratic ownership forms that don't. We've seen this pattern before: well-intentioned policies that inadvertently reinforce existing power structures because the infrastructure favours certain models. This isn't inevitable. With deliberate design choices, the Office for the Impact Economy could become a powerful engine for public benefit. But that requires us to be explicit about ownership structures from the start. What the evidence shows At Social Enterprise UK, our State of Social Enterprise research shows social enterprises deliver around £78bn in turnover and approximately 2.3 million jobs, paying the real Living Wage far more than conventional businesses while reinvesting surpluses in their missions. Yet many face constrained access to finance precisely because their ownership structures don't fit conventional investment models. UK research on employee-owned businesses shows strong productivity, resilience during economic downturns, and better outcomes across worker wellbeing and retention. Worker co-operatives directly share surplus and keep enterprises rooted locally. Community benefit societies anchor assets in places. These models don't just claim to prioritise public benefit - they're legally required to do so. A path forward Three practical steps would strengthen the framework and help the Office for the Impact Economy deliver on its promise of genuinely prioritising public benefit: First, align definitions with principles. NPC's next edition should fully include co-operatives, employee ownership trusts, mutuals, and credit unions in core figures - or publish supplementary analysis this year. If the definition is "public benefit over private gain," then structures legally designed to deliver this should be counted by default, not case-by-case. Second, measure what matters. GVA tells us about economic activity; it doesn't tell us who benefits. Add metrics that reveal whether public benefit is actually prioritised: worker profit-share, pay ratios, community asset growth, employee governance rights. Break these down by ownership model so we can see which structures deliver on the stated definition. Third, create a Democratic Ownership Window within the Office for the Impact Economy. This could include: an SME succession facility supporting employee-ownership conversions; a community shares match fund for local asset purchases; and procurement scoring that rewards ownership structures designed for public benefit. Make it as accessible to support democratic ownership as it is for impact investment vehicles. The broader context We should be candid about history. The UK has spent decades marketising public services through outsourcing. The empirical record includes evidence linking certain forms of for-profit health outsourcing to worse outcomes. The impact economy will operate within that legacy. This doesn't mean all private provision is harmful or all democratic ownership is virtuous. It means when we create new mechanisms for capital to engage with public purpose, design matters enormously. If we want the impact economy to genuinely prioritise public benefit over private gain - as NPC's definition promises - we must make deliberate design choices about ownership. An invitation NPC has catalysed a timely conversation. The Office for the Impact Economy signals genuine government commitment. These are opportunities we should embrace. But if the impact economy is truly about prioritising public benefit over private gain, ownership structures need to be central. Not as an afterthought, but as a core dimension of impact itself. This means counting - and backing - the enterprises that are legally designed to serve public benefit, not just those that aspire to it. The impact economy has a politics, whether we acknowledge it or not. The question is whether that politics entrenches conventional ownership patterns, or opens pathways to genuinely different structures. The choices we make now - in our definitions, our measurements, and our policies - will determine which future we build.

Exceptional Individuals is a social enterprise supporting neurodivergent people, including those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia, into and within work. The organisation was founded 10 years ago by Matt Boyd, drawing on his own lived experience of unemployment and navigating work as a neurodivergent person. What began with the simple aim of supporting just one other person facing similar barriers has grown into a national organisation delivering impact at scale. Today, Exceptional Individuals is a neurodivergent-led organisation, with around 90% of its team identifying as neurodivergent. This lived experience sits at the heart of its work, shaping services that are practical, trusted and rooted in real-world understanding. Over the past year alone, more than 2 million people accessed the Exceptional Individuals website, reflecting growing demand for clear, accessible information about neurodiversity and employment. Around 5,000 people each day use the organisation’s online tools and resources to better understand neurodivergent traits and characteristics, often representing a first step towards self-understanding, workplace support or career progression. Exceptional Individuals supports individuals directly through workplace needs assessments, coaching and in-work support, helping neurodivergent people stay in employment, progress in their careers and avoid unnecessary job loss. This work not only improves individual outcomes, but also reduces the wider social and economic costs associated with exclusion from work. Alongside individual support, the organisation works extensively with corporate employers, delivering neurodiversity training, consultancy and practical guidance. This includes supporting line managers, HR teams and senior leaders to better understand neurodivergent talent, implement reasonable adjustments and embed inclusive practice across recruitment, retention and progression. By working with employers, Exceptional Individuals helps create environments where neurodivergent people can thrive rather than simply cope. As demand for neurodiversity support continues to grow, Exceptional Individuals is also expanding its work to train front-line staff in other charities and social enterprises, building sector-wide capacity and improving support for neurodivergent people across services. From its beginnings supporting a single individual, Exceptional Individuals has now supported thousands of neurodivergent people and worked with organisations across the UK, demonstrating the social and economic value of inclusive employment. Useful links To book a Workplace Needs Assessment or access in-work support: exceptionalindividuals.com/candidates/workplace-needs-assessments/ To explore neurodiversity resources and quizzes, including support for individuals and those wondering if they may have neurodivergent traits: exceptionalindividuals.com/candidates/neurodiversity-resources/neurodiversity-quizzes/ To find out more about Exceptional Individuals and access further resources: exceptionalindividuals.com/

With growing scrutiny of AI in public services, social enterprise Beam has partnered with Nesta to gather public feedback on how its AI tool, Magic Notes, is being used in social care. Launched in 2023, Magic Notes uses AI to transcribe and summarise meeting notes for social workers and other frontline professionals. It was initially developed to support Beam’s own caseworkers who were struggling with administrative workload. Today, it is used by 65,000 practitioners across over 200 organisations, including local authorities, central government, health, social care and employability services.  The public consultation on Magic Notes was carried out through Nesta’s AI Social Readiness Advisory Label between September and October 2025. It involved 137 UK adults, including social care service users, who were asked to weigh the benefits and risks of using Magic Notes during 18 small-group deliberation sessions.  The findings showed strong public backing for Magic Notes, with 83% of participants feeling positive about social workers using the tool and 86% believing it would benefit social care as a whole. In particular, they valued the tool’s ability to free up social worker time, improve the quality of case notes, support job satisfaction and wellbeing, and enable better interactions with service users.  While participants supported the use of AI to reduce paperwork, they were clear that decisions about care must remain with people, not technology. Risks raised included accuracy, data privacy and over-reliance on technology, alongside a strong expectation that social workers review and approve all AI-generated summaries. However, after learning more about the tool and its safeguards, 74% said its benefits outweighed the risks. The consultation also highlighted deep dissatisfaction with the current social care system. Only 13% of participants said they were satisfied with how social care works today, reinforcing the scale of the challenge facing social care and the need for change. Kathy Peach, Director of the Centre for Collective Intelligence (CCI) at Nesta said:  “The government's AI Adoption plan is bound to fail unless there's public support for AI in public services. Our AI Social Readiness Advisory offers a way to build public confidence and trust, helping people to overcome initial concerns they may have about a tool. This is especially important in public service areas like social care that have a lot to gain from AI, but low public support for the use of AI might be stalling deployment.” Rachel Astall, Chief Customer Officer at Beam, said: “Responsible use of AI is central to how we build and deliver technology at Beam. We were encouraged to see that 86% of the public,  including people who access social care, felt that Magic Notes would benefit social care as a whole. The process surfaced thoughtful, practical suggestions for further improving the use of AI tools, and gave us a clear sense of what earns public confidence. We think it’s important that the public are consulted on how AI is used in public service delivery and we hope more organisations will take similar steps.” magicnotes.ai beam.org About the AI Social Readiness Advisory Label The Advisory Label is a structured public deliberation process that measures public confidence and trust in AI tools being used in the UK public sector. It involves an immersive, educational, and collaborative experience for citizens who weigh the benefits and risks of specific technologies to determine conditions for their trustworthy deployment.

The Social Value Leaders’ Summit has become an agenda-setting event for policymakers, commissioners, business leaders, social enterprises, charities and social value practitioners who wish to see a procurement system which delivers better public services, better value for taxpayers, and better social and environmental outcomes for the country. Last year’s Summit took place just after the passing of the Procurement Act and a raft of policy initiatives and guidance, which have the potential to transform the procurement landscape. Attendees heard directly from the Minister responsible for overseeing the reforms, Georgia Gould MP, as well as cross-sector leaders who discussed in depth what they may mean for social value. This year’s Summit, the 10th to take place, will look at what’s changed one year on with a key focus on how social value can be used as a tool to build a fairer and more resilient economy. This year’s event Date and time: 10:00am – 4:30pm, Wednesday 25 March 2026 Location: Strand Palace Hotel, Central London Audience: 200 delegates (invitation only) Attendees will hear from expert speakers from across sectors, combined with interactive workshops where participants can share their own experiences and insights. A focus of the Summit will be on practical tips and peer learning – looking beyond theory to bring real examples and learnings from practitioners on the coalface. There will also be plenty of time outside of sessions to network and connect with fellow attendees. Speakers include Professor Mariana Mazzucato – Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London Josh Babarinde OBE MP Mete Coban MBE - Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy Dame Patricia Hewitt - Former Health Secretary / ICS Review Lead Claire Dove CBE - VCSE Crown Representative Angela Halliday - Co-chair Social Value Task Force, Sodexo Rachel Taylor - UK Government and Health Industries Leader, PwC Key themes Maximising social value to build a fairer and more resilient economy Sharing best practice from across sectors – Find out how public bodies, private companies and social enterprises are working together to create social value. You’ll hear examples of how different organisations are using social value as a tool to drive economic growth, support the communities they work in, and use commissioning to drive positive social and environmental outcomes. Throughout the day attendees will have opportunities to bring their own insights of what is, and also importantly, what isn’t working when it comes to delivering social value. The Procurement Act One Year On – What’s changed? From mandatory reporting for government bodies on their VCSE spend to making the procurement process easier for contracting bodies and social enterprises – get an update on where we’re at a year after the Procurement Act went live, what progress has been made and where the potential for change may not have been realised. What the new Office for the Impact Economy means for social value – hear from representatives from this new Department set up to support purpose-driven businesses partner with government and investors. Find out what role it will play in driving forward the social value agenda and what this will look like in practice. A legal perspective – how can the new procurement framework be used to expand the potential of social value? Can contracts be reserved for social enterprise or charity (VCSE) providers, and how are the changes in the Act affecting organisations outside of central government, from local authorities to private companies? We’ll be looking at the possibilities within procurement legislation and guidance to truly embrace the potential transformative impact of last year’s changes. Attendees will also be the first to hear about our plans for a new, exciting piece of work which will create the next steps needed towards better commissioning, cross-sector working and a new future for mission-driven procurement. The Social Value Leaders' Summit is delivered in partnership with: Who’s it for? The Social Value Leaders’ Summit is an invitation-only event. If you’d like to attend the Summit and work within one of these sectors, please fill out the expression of interest form below, and we’ll be in touch. Local authority leader, social value lead or a role responsible for commissioning services. Procurement or social value lead at a private company A social enterprise or charity leader with a proven record of delivering services to central or local government. Academic with a focus on social value delivery and implementation Sign up to find out more Please note if you work for a public sector organisation, tick the second box - business/organisation other than social enterprises.

Dr Birgit Kehrer, founder of award-winning ChangeKitchen CIC based in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, has been recognised as one of the UK’s 100 most inspiring female entrepreneurs. Birgit, who founded her business in 2010, will be featured alongside leading female founders from across the country as part of Small Business Britain’s f:Entrepreneur #IAlso100 campaign, which celebrates the multi-achievements of women running businesses in the UK. The campaign celebrates 100 exceptional women across the UK who are driving innovation, growth, and positive impact in their communities, while running successful businesses. Birgit is being profiled for her achievements as a leading social entrepreneur committed to tackling food injustice one climate-friendly meal at a time, and providing volunteering, training and work experience opportunities to those marginalised from recognised, more mainstream, employment routes into the hospitality sector. On being featured in this year’s #IAlso100 lineup, Birgit said: “I am genuinely humbled, and delighted, to be named in this prestigious national list of female entrepreneurs. Looking at those who feature in the 2026 list, there are many female leaders who are incredible role models and whom I find equally inspiring.” “Being recognised through awards such as this f:Entrepreneur 100 is so much more than just a ‘nice badge’ – it helps give people, particularly women, a voice and an aspiration to achieve more. I’m privileged to have collaborated with, and supported, some wonderful people through ChangeKitchen CIC and our work as a professional, sustainable catering service and Kindness Café specialising in plant-based menus.” Launched in 2017 by Small Business Britain, the f:Entrepreneur campaign aims to raise greater awareness of the impact of incredible female business owners across the country, and help provide inspiration and role models to the wider small business community.  “It is brilliant to feature Birgit in this year’s #IAlso100 campaign. All of the female entrepreneurs in this year’s line-up are inspirational and remarkable role models,” said Michelle Ovens CBE, CEO and Founder of Small Business Britain. “Their creativity, leadership, and community impact show exactly why supporting female founders is so important, not only for the UK’s economic growth but for the positive difference they make to wider society.” The #IAlso100 campaign offers a host of events, training, and networking opportunities to boost skills, capability, and confidence.  Female entrepreneurship continues to make a powerful economic impact, with estimates suggesting up to £250 billion could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled new businesses at the same rate as men.1 To view the full list of the 100 female business owners featured in this year’s f:Entrepreneur #IAlso100 campaign, visit https://f-entrepreneur.com/ialso-100-2026/. About ChangeKitchen CIC A pioneer of climate-friendly, socially-driven catering ChangeKitchen CIC is widely recognised as the Midlands’ only fully climate-friendly catering social enterprise, delivering high-end corporate, private and third-sector catering while creating deep, measurable social impact. Over the past fifteen years, ChangeKitchen CIC has become a quiet powerhouse in Birmingham’s social economy, using food as a bridge into opportunity, dignity and community. Their work includes: 95,000 free meals cooked and distributed since March 2020, with 200 to 400 meals still provided weekly. Nearly 10,000 bespoke emergency food parcels delivered to people in crisis. 20 to 50 supported work placements offered every year to people furthest from the labour market. Growth from 2.5 staff to 12, many of whom joined following supported placements. Employment of survivors of modern slavery through partnership with the Jericho Foundation’s Equiano Programme. 50 to 100 tonnes of surplus food saved from landfill annually. A fully climate-friendly kitchen powered by low-carbon energy, composting, recycling and zero-waste principles. changekitchen.co.uk

During International Homelessness Week, social enterprise Connection Crew brought together over 70 leaders from social enterprises, homelessness charities, event partners and impact-driven organisations to celebrate 20 years of delivering employment pathways for people affected by homelessness. Since 2005, Connection Crew has: Provided work to 499 people affected by homelessness Delivered almost 300,000 hours of living wage work for people affected by homelessness Built long-term partnerships across the events, charity and social enterprise sectors Demonstrated that commercial purchasing decisions - such as booking crew - can be powerful tools for social change Connection Crew released its 20 Year Impact Report at the event which featured three speakers: Lord John Bird, Founder of The Big Issue Praised employment-led interventions as essential to breaking cycles of disadvantage. “Connection Crew is one of those rare organisations that doesn’t just give people a handout but a hand up.” Camilla Marcus-Dew, Head of Ventures, Connection Crew Founder of Amplify Goods and previously founder of SoapCo and Beco, Camilla challenged the sector to seize the opportunity presented by the events industry’s huge procurement power. “The power is in procurement choices, staffing an event with people that live up the road, working with SMEs, putting money in the hands of diverse businesses, and yes - getting purchase orders for the greatest events of 2026 into the inboxes of social enterprises like ours.” Warren Rogers, Director, Connection Crew Reflected on the collective potential of the UK’s over 100,000 social enterprises. “One choice. One action. One shift in how we turn up. When those small changes multiply across a sector, they become transformation.” Guests included representatives from St Mungo’s, Beam, Social Enterprise UK, Big Issue, Design Council, Deborah Hale MBE and a network of events companies whose bookings have generated Connection Crew’s impact. Photography enclosed here: 20th Anniversary Press Images, impact data and interviews with the speakers are available on request. About Connection Crew Connection Crew is a social enterprise working to fight homelessness through employment and living wage work by providing skilled crew to the events sector. Its model creates paid jobs, training and next steps for people rebuilding their lives after homelessness. connectioncrew.co.uk

Charlie Wigglesworth, Managing Director of Telos, reflects on this year's Social Enterprise World Forum in Tapei, the UK's status as a leader in social procurement, and the lessons that can be learnt from dynamic initiatives in East Asia. I’ve been lucky enough to sit on the board of the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) for the past six years. Whilst a combination of Covid and being a new parent has limited my attendance to just two events in this time, the event in Taipei was a timely reminder of the incredible convening power of SEWF and the extent to which social enterprise is a truly global movement, with over 1000 participants from more than 65 countries. Discussions on social procurement have become increasingly prevalent at social enterprise events in the past 5-6 years. As someone who has been heavily involved in this space for the past ten years it’s been great to watch it grow in the consciousness of the social enterprise sector at large as something of interest and importance. I often felt leaving these conversations however that our work in the UK was well ahead of most of our international peers and that the topic was being talked about rather than done in practice. This is resolutely no longer the case. My big feeling upon leaving Taipei was that not only is social procurement now happening in all parts of the world (something we’d already identified in our State of Social Procurement report for World Economic Forum) but indeed the best practice, growth and ambition now rests elsewhere. To take our hosts in Taiwan as an example, there is a coordinated approach from government, the private sector and social enterprise to drive social procurement activity. Driven from government through the Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration (SMESA) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, there is the Buying Power Procurement Award, which recognises buyers and suppliers through awards and public acknowledgment, encouraging collaboration and public-private partnerships. The impact is clear: cumulative procurement has reached NT$11.8 billion (c. £289m), with a record NT$4.1 billion (c. £100m) in 2025 alone. This growth curve is far faster than we’ve been able to achieve in the UK or Europe. Perhaps the most impressive single example came from SK Group, South Korea’s second largest conglomerate (behind Samsung Group). SK have a Double Bottom Line (DBL) management framework to create simultaneous growth through economic and social value, and see social enterprise engagement at the heart of this endeavour. Through their corporate foundation the Center for Social Value Enhancement Studies (CSES) they are investing in social enterprises, creating their own, and finding ways to integrate them back into their wider supply chain. What lessons can we learn in the UK and Europe? I think it’s clear that other markets are leapfrogging us in terms of the pace with which they’re developing social procurement. A critical factor in this is the ability to align ecosystem approaches around the central idea of buying from social enterprises. Rather than looking at this in isolation, places like Taiwan and South Korea are looking at the whole system, and how they can align government procurement (both policy and practice), investment, and private sector procurement to drive social enterprise growth. Whilst all these pieces exist in the UK, for example, they remain more disparate – there is much work to be done and much to learn. Charlie is Managing Director of Telos a social enterprise set up by Social Enterprise UK to help global corporations drive social, economic and environmental value through core business activity. He also sits on the board of the Social Enterprise World Forum.

Profits reinvested into refugee training and employment through Changing Journeys programme. Award-winning social enterprise NEMI Teas has unveiled TRAMPOLINE Teas, a new range of Fairtrade and Rainforest-Alliance certified blends created for schools, offices, hotels and caterers who want quality, value and social impact — all in the same cup. Designed for high-volume foodservice, TRAMPOLINE Teas delivers consistent, great-tasting blends at competitive prices, while reinvesting profits into refugee training and employment through the Changing Journeys programme run at TRAMPOLINE Cafes across London. Participants gain confidence, hospitality skills and real work experience to help them take their next step into meaningful employment “TRAMPOLINE Teas is our answer to a clear market need for accessible, ethical tea in high-volume hospitality,” said Pranav Chopra, Founder of NEMI Teas. “Operators no longer need to choose between value, quality and social impact.” “This range proves that everyday doesn’t mean average,” added David Ryan, Growth Director. “TRAMPOLINE Teas brings taste, consistency and purpose together — a small switch that helps businesses create big impact through everyday choices.” The Line-Up: Familiar Favourites A feel-good family of eight blends — crafted for every mood, moment and menu: English Breakfast Earl Grey Green Tea Peppermint Tea Lemongrass & Ginger Decaf English Breakfast Red Berry Chamomile Available in enveloped tea bags (250s) and bulk catering packs (1100s). Certified, sustainable and built for volume TRAMPOLINE Teas is designed specifically for high-volume hospitality environments, offering operational simplicity alongside strong ethical credentials: Registered social enterprise Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified teas Industrially compostable teabags & envelopes Blended and packed in a UK facility powered by renewable energy Following successful pilots with leading UK caterers earlier this year, the range received strong feedback on taste, consistency and ease of service. TRAMPOLINE Teas is now available to order across the UK. For more information or to request samples, visit trampolineteas.com or email bounce@trampolineteas.com. People-Powered Impact Every box purchased supports refugee training and employment opportunities through TRAMPOLINE Cafes located in Angel and at the Royal College of Nursing. Each brew helps someone bounce forward into work. Every sip supports a new start. About NEMI Teas NEMI Teas is a King’s Award-winning, certified social enterprise based in London. We craft high-quality, Organic and Fairtrade teas while supporting refugees into meaningful work.Our profits are reinvested into our TRAMPOLINE Cafes, which provide structured hospitality training and living-wage work experience for refugees through the Changing Journeys programme. Impact Snapshot In the 12 months to 31 October 2025 12 individuals supported through training and employment pathways 3,500+ hours of paid work experience delivered Partnerships with leading hospitality organisations, including The Hotel School, ThomasFranks, and Houston & Hawkes