Social, Cooperative and Community Economy APPG
The Social, Cooperative and Community Economy All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) held its inaugural meeting on 10 December 2024. The APPG has been created to increase understanding of diverse mission-led business models (social enterprises, co-ops, mutuals, employee-owned and community business etc) in order to improve support and enable growth.
The group will work to address issues important to building a more inclusive economy and influencing legislative change so that diverse mission-led businesses can reach their potential.
Social Enterprise UK provides the Secretariat for the APPG.
Officers of the APPG
- Chair – Patrick Hurley MP (patrick.hurley.mp@parliament.uk)
- Vice Chair – The Baroness Thornton
- Josh Babarinde MP
- The Lord Balfe
APPG Members
Debbie Abrahams MP, Catherine Atkinson MP, The Lord Adebowale CBE, Rachel Blake MP, Ellie Chowns MP, Victoria Collins MP, Marsha de Cordova MP, Anneliese Dodds MP, Lauren Edwards MP, The Rt Hon. the Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, The Lord Fox, The Lord Bishop of Newcastle – Helen-Ann Macleod Hartley, The Lord Haskel, Afzal Khan MP, Clive Lewis MP, Grahame Morris MP, The Rt Hon. the Lord Newby OBE, Kate Osamor MP, Andrew Pakes MP, Jo Platt MP, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Prashar CBE, Adrian Ramsay MP, Martin Rhodes MP, Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, Alex Sobel MP, Yuan Yang MP, Stuart Andrew MP,Sarah Russell MP, Rosie Wrighting MP
How can the government better support social enterprises?
On 17 June 2026 the APPG published two short reports based on evidence heard from mission-led organisations in a series of meetings. The first looked at how government can unlock the potential of the £400bn worth of public procurement spend to create social value. From addressing how people-centred services like adult and children’s care are being procured like commodity markets, to taking on the issue that service providers are often rewarded for what they can measure and not what they can change – it presents a series of recommendations on how we can unlock social value for a fairer, more resilient UK.
The second shows the structural barriers facing social enterprises in the health service, how these can be addressed, and makes the case for social enterprise as a central delivery partner in delivering an NHS fit for the future. It sets our targeted, non-legislative interventions to unlock the contribution of social enterprises so they can further deliver on the Government’s priorities of moving from sickness to prevention, hospital to community, and maintaining long-term fiscal sustainability
Progress on Growing Diverse Business Models – Inquiry Findings November 2025
Throughout 2025, the APPG ran an inquiry into progress on the Labour Party’s 2024 Manifesto commitment to “support diverse business models which bring innovation and new products to the market,” and to “double the size of the UK’s co-operative and mutuals sector and remove barriers such as access to finance”.
It convened a series of evidence sessions to hear directly from social enterprises, co-operatives and community businesses about the vital role they already play in strengthening local economies and addressing market failures, as well as the challenges they are facing. The inquiry also heard from representatives from support bodies, social investors and local authorities. You can view the full evidence annex which informed the inquiry recommendations here.
APPG Enquiries
To enquire about the APPG, please email appg@socialenterprise.org.uk .
Attendance to the APPG meetings for non-Parliamentarians is by invitation only.
Please note: This is not an official website [or feed] of Parliament. It has not been approved by either House. APPGs are informal groups of Parliamentarians with a common interest in particular issues. The views expressed are those of the group.
Photos from the launch of the APPG’s two reports at the House of Lords on 17 June 2026
We would like to thank the following organisations for their support:
