Useful links
Jump to Social Enterprise organisations and support, Regional Agencies orThink Tanks and Foundations
Government
The Social Enterprise Unit (Department of Health) co-ordinates policy on social enterprise, and ensures that a network of support is put in place to encourage the wider use of social enterprise models in health and social care.
The Office of the Third Sector (Cabinet Office) is set up to drive forward the Government's role in supporting a thriving sector, and to bring together sector-related work from across government. It will work as an advocate for the "third" sector across Government, as well as delivering its own policy programmes.
Social enterprise contributes to all five of the strategic priorities of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra): climate change; sustainable consumption and production; enhancement of biodiversity; rural communities; and a sustainable farming and food sector.
The Charity and Third Sector Finance Unit (HM Treasury) is responsible for strategic policy development across HM Treasury on third sector issues. The Unit brings together all aspects of tax, spending and financial services policy. The Unit works closely with the Cabinet Office and HM Revenue & Customs.
The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) works with public sector organisations to help them improve their efficiency, gain better value for money from their commercial activities and deliver improved success from programmes and projects. It offers guidance on procurement from social economy organisations.
By operating through Good Corporate Citizenship, NHS organisations can benefit from a healthier local population, improved staff morale and faster recovery rates. They can also make big financial savings through using their corporate powers and resources in ways that benefit rather than damage social, economic and environmental conditions. This resource enables them to identify and assess their contribution to good corporate citizenship and gives ideas, guidance and resources for future action.
The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement supports the NHS with high-impact solutions to some of its biggest challenges, as well as innovative ideas, new practices and technologies that will really make a difference to the delivery of health care and health outcomes.
The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) is a centre of expertise, knowledge and excellence in purchasing and supply matters for the NHS. It advises on policy and the strategic direction of procurement, and its impact on developing health care, across the NHS. PASA offers guidance on, amongst other things, best practice and sustainable development, as well as selling to the NHS.
The Sustainable Development Commission is the Government's independent watchdog on sustainable development. Through advocacy, advice and appraisal, it helps put sustainable development at the core of Government policy. Its activities on Healthy Futures spread sustainability good practice throughout the NHS.
Social Enterprise organisations and support
The better Project: better understanding. An introduction for prodcurers & commissioners. Impact measurement, social accounting and public sector procurement opportunities for social enterprise in Sussex.
The Social Enterprise Coalition is the UK's national body for social enterprise. The voice for the sector, it supports and represents the work of its members, influences national policy and promotes best practice. The Coalition set up a Social Enterprise Health Forum for health social enterprises in mid-2007.
The Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition is a collective lobbying and campaigns voice for social enterprise in Scotland. It is a membership-led organisation representing the needs and interests of social enterprise to politicians, policy makers and opinion formers.
ACEVO is the professional body for the "third" sector's chief executives, with 2000 members. It connects, develops and represents the sector's leaders in order to increase the sector's impact and efficiency.
The Association of Social Entrepreneurs in Health is a membership organisation of health professionals to set up and sustain social enterprise in healthcare. It provides networking, knowledge, advocacy, debate and education.
Business in the Community is an independent business-led whose purpose is to inspire, engage, and support and challenge companies, to continually improve the impact they have on society. This includes a range of programmes, such as Business Bridge, Cares and ProHelp.
Business Link offers support and advice to small businesses, including social enterprises. It provides straightforward information for business, access to a wide network of business support organisations and a directory of sources of finance.
The Community Action Network (CAN) develops, promotes and supports social entrepreneurs. The CAN team and members deliver high quality community projects in almost every field of social change and service delivery, from homelessness to schools and from health care to recycling.
Co-operatives UK is the central membership organisation for co-operative enterprise throughout the UK, promoting co-operative and mutual solutions, working in partnership with its members to build a stronger and increasingly successful co-operative movement.
The Development Trusts Association promotes the work of development trusts, advocates on their behalf by commenting on and contributing to public policy developments, briefing and lobbying central and local government, and liaising with a wide range of organisations at regional, national and European level.
The Directory for Social Entrepreneurial Organisations (seo-online) provides a one-stop source of data about social entrepreneurs in England, and a place to trade information, insight, products and services. The site raises the profile of social entrepreneurial organisations and helps them to deliver even more cutting edge solutions.
Edge Upstarts is a programme designed to encourage and promote practical learning so that everyone is able to fulfil their potential. Edge Upstarts is a unique forum through which to discuss ideas, policies and the impact of learning-by-doing. It seeks equal status for practical learning and produce a much fairer education system for everyone.
TheEmployee Ownership Association is the voice of co-owned business in the UK – companies wholly or substantially owned by the people who work in them.
Employee Ownership Options provides information and signposting on how employee ownership can bring benefits to employees, business owners and trade unionists. It raises awareness of the business options available to small firms when they are threatened with closure either as a result of succession problems or as a result of divestment.
The Future Services Network is for organisations and individuals who want to see public services which are genuinely driven by citizens and consumers.
i-Genius helps people promote what they are doing, their work, their ideas and their passion – and through our community, enables them to connect with others. It seeks to stimulate fresh thinking and bright ideas, and inspire a new generation to become social entrepreneurs.
Innovation Exchange is a programme where innovators from the "third" sector, public servants and social investors can collaborate to tackle specific social problems together. The programme offers online and offline opportunities for people to meet, learn from one another and grow innovations. It also offers a tailored programme of support and development for the most promising projects.
Make Your Mark: Change Lives is a campaign to inspire young people to use enterprising ideas for social and environmental change.
Nearbuyyou is a national trading network for social enterprises and those that wish to trade with them. Find tenders, offers and requests or search for social enterprises near you. All member services are free to social enterprises.
NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. It is the largest single endowment devoted exclusively to supporting talent, innovation and creativity in the UK. Its mission is to transform the UK's capacity for innovation. It invests in early stage companies, inform innovation policy and encourage a culture that helps innovation to flourish.
The Plunkett Foundation is an educational charity which advocates and supports economic self-help as an effective instrument for meeting the needs of rural communities. It promotes and implements economic self-help solutions to rural problems, and enables rural communities to establish and run enterprises that provide themselves with essential services.
The Public Service Delivery Network is for those in the social economy with responsibility for negotiating and managing public service contracts. It develops capacity within the voluntary and community sector by providing a forum for peer support, developing and sharing resources, networking and professional development opportunities.
The Scarman Trust helps citizens bring about change in their community, in the way that they want. It finances and gives practical support to hundreds of remarkable people with a 'can do' attitude, who mobilise thousands of others to make fundamental life chances available to all.
The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) exists to provide training and opportunities to enable people to use their creative and entrepreneurial abilities more fully for social benefit.
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship provides a global platform to promote social entrepreneurship as a key element to advance societies and address social problems in an innovative and effective manner.
SmartResources is an online resource for the social sector, providing information and advice on best practice, organisation profiles and case studies focusing on new technology.
The Social Enterprise Partnership implements infrastructure and systems development, capacity building, research and development for the social enterprise sector in the UK. Its raises awareness and improves the performance of social enterprises by making the support system more effective and mainstreaming best practice and innovation.
Social Enterprise Training and Support (SETAS) is an information resource providing links to training and support providers, and specialist publications specifically about social enterprise.
Social Firms UK aims to create employment opportunities for disadvantaged people through the development and support of social firms. Social firms are market-led businesses that are set up specifically to create good quality jobs for people severely disadvantaged in the labour market.
Social Firms Wales is committed to the creation of employment opportunities for disabled people and others disadvantaged in the labour market, through the development and support of Social Firms in Wales – Creating employment for people furthest from the labour market.
UnLtd supports social entrepreneurs - people who have the ideas and the commitment to make a difference in their communities. It provides a complete package of finance and support to help these individuals start up and run projects that deliver social benefit. In doing so, UnLtd fosters a positive environment for social entrepreneurship in the UK.
VolResource provides practical resources for people involved in social economy organisations through communications technology. It carries briefings, contact information, specialist sources, suppliers, alongside tips on key issues and what to look out for elsewhere.
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Health and Social Care Enterprise Network (West Yorkshire)
The King's Fund is an independent charitable foundation working for better health, especially in London. It carries out research, policy analysis and development activities, working on its own, in partnerships, and through funding.
Mutuo brings together the different wings of the mutual sector to promote a common message of success and to encourage mutual approaches to business and public policy. Through Mutuo consumer co-operatives, building societies, mutual insurers and friendly societies work together to promote their shared interests to the Government, media and other decision makers.
The National Consumer Council aims to ensure that the consumer voice is heard, with priorities in public services, disadvantaged and vulnerable consumers, and sustainable consumption.
The New Economics Foundation is an independent 'think and do' tank, which believes in economics as if people and the planet mattered. It aims to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environment and social issues.
The Social Market Foundation is an independent think tank, exploring ideas that link the state and the market to create a more just, free and prosperous society.
The Young Foundation is a centre for social innovation identifying and understanding unmet social needs and developing practical initiatives to address them. It works in many fields - including health - and brings together research and action, including the creation of new enterprises.