The Shadow State

This latest report, published at the Social Value Leaders’ Summit in March 2024, analyses public sector engagement with social value. Based on Freedom of Information requests to all local authorities in England and Wales, it builds on a 2016 research exercise to form the most comprehensive dataset on social value implementation in the country. Results paint a mixed picture, with engagement increasing over the years but progress limited by a lack of clarity and consistency. While the percentage of councils with a social value policy or strategy has more than doubled since 2016, these efforts are often not effectively communicated or measured - a missed opportunity for local government to realise the full potential of this transformative approach.

This quarterly review uses survey data from our Social Enterprise Knowledge Centre to give a picture of sector operating circumstances across the country. The latest results of our Social Enterprise Advisory Panel depict a sector broadly optimistic for the year ahead, persevering in the face of economic uncertainty despite gaps in local and national government support.

Our research with the University of Worcester compares the registration and dissolution of Community Interest Companies (CICs) over the last five years to other businesses, finding interesting differences. We found that CICs were dissolved, on average, at a lower rate than other forms of registered businesses. CIC registration is growing significantly and proportionately more than other business models, but CICs tend to dissolve at a younger age.