About our policy and influencing strategy

The aim of our policy and influencing work is to create the most supportive environment for social enterprises to thrive.

We have built a reputation for the effectiveness of our campaigns, run regular events and have a strong track record in influencing the policy agenda such as the creation of the Community Interest Company legislation and the Social Value Act.

 

There is no such thing as a free market. Every market is influenced and regulated by the rules of the game. Our work seeks to level the playing field for social enterprises. We trust that where people and planet are put first, social enterprises will succeed.

 

In order to level the playing field, we work hard with politicians across the political spectrum to make sure that policies are developed which help social enterprises to grow. This includes:

  • Supporting access to finance for social enterprises through social investment, grant programmes and other activities;
  • Encouraging public and private sectors to buy from social enterprises through encouraging the development of the Social Value Act;
  • Reforming the tax system to make it as easy to run and grow a social enterprise;
  • Advocating for the importance of place-led infrastructure for social enterprises through our Places programme;

We work with all sides nationally, locally and with devolved administrations.

 

In recent years we have run a number of campaigns to support the social enterprise sector.

 

During COVID, we worked hard to ensure that social enterprises were given access to the emergency funding they needed to survive and unlocking hundreds of millions of pounds for the sector. We have also been working hard with to promote social enterprises in health and care by lobbying engaging with Ministers, senior officials and during the recent Health and Care Bill. We are currently in the process of running a major programme, Social Value 2032, to coincide with the ten year anniversary of the Social Value Act.

 

Social Enterprise UK also acts as the Secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Enterprise.

 

If you would like to support our policy and influencing work, then please email our Director of Research and Policy, Emily Darko – emily.darko@socialenterprise.org.uk