Practical Guides

Social enterprises: part of the NHS family – an explanatory guide for the wider NHS

This guide, produced with the NHS Confederation is aimed at everyone working within the wider NHS and for people interested in the role social enterprises play in delivering better health and social care outcomes for the communities they serve.Read more

Realising the Potential of Social Enterprise: A Guide for People in Local Government

This guide is for people working in local authorities. It explains how social enterprises can help meet a local authority’s strategic objectives, and gives practical advice on how local authorities can best work with them. Sponsored by GLL.Read more

Start your Social Enterprise

This guide takes you through the start-up essentials. Sponsored by NatWest.Read more

12 Steps to Embedding Social Value Priorities in Health and Care Commissioning

SEUK have put together A 12 step approach for commissioners looking to make the most of social value in health and care commissioning building on the findings of the Health and Social Value Programme.Read more

Social Enterprise Explained

Just getting interested in social enterprise? This guide is for anyone who might want to start, buy from, invest in, commission from, or support social enterprises. Sponsored by Unity Trust Bank. Published October 2012.Read more

Procuring for Good PowerPoint

The findings of Procuring for Good - a report published by Social Enterprise UK looking at the extent to which local authorities are using the Social Value Act- are summarised in this PowerPoint presentation for those wishing to share them with colleagues.Read more

The Social Enterprise Supply Chain Guide

This guide is for big businesses and other organisations interested in buying goods and services from the UK's social enterprise sector.Read more

Social Investment Explained

The aim of this guide is to give you an overview of the UK social investment market and help you to work out whether and how it's relevant to your organisation.Read more

The Power of Partnerships: Working with the VCSE sector for Health

This resource offers practical tools and support to CCGs, HWBs and VCSE organisations to develop effective partnerships to deliver better health care. Published February 2013.Read more

Working with the Public Sector: Busting the Myths

A myth-busting guide produced with Anthony Collins Solicitors to help social enterprises navigate procurement rules and processes, and for contracting public bodies who want to commission for social value and work with social enterprises. Published January 2013.Read more

The Social Value Guide

Local authority or public body? This guide is designed to help you embed social value in all your commissioning and procurement practices. November 2012. The Social Value Guide, produced in association with Anthony Collins Solicitors, aims to help those affected by the Social Value Act, which came into force in January 2013.Read more

Why Social Enterprise: A Guide for Charities

Charities can diversify their income streams by looking to social enterprise. This guide offers practical tips and advice on the issues to consider before trading.Read more

Preparing the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector (VCSE) for the Social Value Act

This briefing, produced by Social Enterprise UK for the Catalyst consortium, provides a valuable introduction to the Social Value Act for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations. Published December 2012.Read more

Legal Guidance for Social Enterprises on Discretionary Business Rate Relief

How does discretionary business rate relief apply to your social enterprise? Find out in this handy piece of legal guidance summarising the current legislation on discretionary rate relief. Produced in association with Bates Wells and Braithwaite Solicitors (BWB). Published May 2012.Read more

What Makes a Social Enterprise a Social Enterprise?

This short paper is for anyone who’s interested in the main characteristics of a social enterprise - what it is and what it isn’t. It doesn’t aim to provide a strict definition, but instead sets out what Social Enterprise UK believes are the critical factors that make an organisation a social enterprise.Read more

The Social Enterprise Guide for People Working in Local Government

Find out how social enterprises can help meet many of a local authority’s objectives, and get practical advice about how local authority teams can engage with social enterprises to benefit the communities they serve. Published February 2012.Read more

Social Franchising: A Guide for Franchisees

A guide to social franchising from the perspective of the franchisee. Get practical advice on how to decided if franchising is the right choice, selecting a franchise and building a successful franchise relationship. This guide accompanies the Social Franchising Manual. Published 2011.Read more

Social Franchising Manual

This guide for social enterprises provides an introduction to social franchising and practical advice on how to franchise.Read more

The Right to Run

A practical guide for public sector staff thinking about setting up a mutual or social enterprise. Published June 2011.Read more