Addressing the cost-of-living crisis is the right thing to do, but an increase to the National Living Wage is going to be challenging for some social enterprises, writes Head of Public Affairs Jovan Owusu-Nepaul. After much anticipation, Chancellor John Healey delivered his first budget with Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the helm. After a tumultuous … Continued
Survey respondents give strong backing for government supply chain diversity and reserving contracts below £1m for VCSEs and SMEs. Social enterprises also think the new definition of social value is too narrow. When we first published our response to the government’s social value changes in August, we received a lot of feedback on social media, … Continued
We’re proud to reveal the shortlist for the UK Social Enterprise Awards 2026! The Awards are a celebration of the pioneering social enterprise businesses which are transforming lives and empowering communities across the country. This year, we’re delighted to be co-producing the Awards with Co-operatives UK, recognising the vital role co-operatives have in shaping a … Continued
Unity Trust Bank’s half year results show its customer base reached a record high of over 11,800 while deposits surpassed £2bn for the first time. Organisations choosing business banking with Unity supported £155.7m in new lending in the first six months of 2026 – up seven per cent from the same period last year. Almost … Continued
Two new reports launched today set out recommendations for reforming NHS commissioning and public procurement to better support social enterprises, with Lord Victor Adebowale arguing the choice is “what kind of country we want to become”. This morning, Social Enterprise UK launched two reports at the House of Lords containing recommendations for how the government can further support social enterprises to create fairer, … Continued
From online training and knowledge-sharing to in-person networking, our flagship UK Social Enterprise Awards to parliamentary receptions – this calendar shows what’s coming up in our busy programme of events, so our members can plan ahead and make the most of the opportunities coming up this year. Most of these are exclusive to our membership … Continued
Several social enterprise leaders recently met with government to share how they could be supported to create more jobs President Trump’s invasion of Iran and the associated financial tremors aren’t making it easy currently, but economic growth remains the government’s priority. Key to that will be a more resilient labour market, one that delivers secure, … Continued
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 … Continued