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Some Observations on Social Enterprise and Ireland’s National Recovery
Jonathan CoburnDirector, Think! Research for Social Change
Scotland: Opening up to Social Enterprise
• Strong cross-party support for social enterprise
• A strong collective voice from the social enterprise sector
• A comprehensive social enterprise strategy
• Some cutting edge programmes of support to the sector
• An infrastructure of specialist support now in place
• ... and backed by investment!
… But a bleak picture for the UK and Ireland?
Social Enterprise: A New Horizon?
• A change is brewing; a change for the better
• Social enterprise emerging from many routes
• A business model proving reasonably resilient
• Impacting across the economy; a basis for sustained growth
• Driving public sector transformation
• … and for Ireland?
Putting Social Enterprise on the Map
• Develop a shared language around social enterprise
• If it’s good then put a ‘badge’ on it and tell the world
• Recognise your achievements and showcase existing activity
• Reach out to your budding social entrepreneurs
• Take action in your Schools, Colleges, and Universities
Creating Jobs Through Social Enterprise
• View social enterprise as a stepping stone back into work
• Create a ‘Future Jobs Fund’ to address youth unemployment
• Promote Social Firms as a job creation model
• Build SE into your national Employment Service
Opening Up Public Procurement
• Develop a National Third Sector Commissioning Programme
• Use your national public contracts portal better
• Support social enterprises to become ‘Ready for Business’
• Make full use of Community Benefits Clauses
• Support Co-production through Public Social Partnerships
Supporting State Transformation
• Establish Public Sector Centres of Expertise and Champions
• Establish Right to Request/ Challenge legislation
• Create a Public Service Innovation Fund
• Place State infrastructure into social enterprise hands
• Create supply chain opps from infrastructure investment
Transferring Assets to Social Enterprise
• Develop a body of asset transfer knowledge and tools
• Establish ‘Community Right to Buy’ legislation
• Promote the use asset transfer frameworks by public bodies
• Support catalytic sectoral intermediaries e.g. land, energy
Investing Strategically in the Sector
• Continue to develop flexible financing options
• Tackle the cultural aversion to risk and debt
• Loosen the regulatory framework for Credit Unions
• Trial Social Impact Bonds to invest in prevention
Supporting Social Business Growth
• Enable social enterprises to access mainstream support
• Equip business advisors to support social enterprises
• Integrate training, finance and business advice measures
• Develop a tailored national support programme to fill gaps
• Recognise rural social enterprise as requiring distinct support
Providing a Coherent Voice
• Develop a Social Enterprise ‘Coalition’ for Ireland
• Support the development of local social enterprise networks
• Play your part globally via the Social Enterprise World Forum
Developing the Evidence Base
• Baseline evidence to fully understand needs/aspirations
• National performance indicators to track change
• Use the right tools to measure social impact
Social Enterprise: Still On Your Horizon?
Gather the evidence+
Tell the story+
Speak with one voice+
Garner political support+
Together build your strategy
Thank you!
Jonathan CoburnDirector, Think! Research for Social ChangeWeb: www.thinkresearch.org.ukTel: +44 141 352 7419