The government published a short assessment of progress on its 2006 social enterprise action plan.
Source: Social Enterprise Action Plan: Two Years On, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Dec
A think-tank report said that the government should invest in timebanking, in order to enable people to exchange their skills, knowledge, and resources. Timebanking should be 'embedded at the heart' of all public services. (Timebanking is a form of voluntary exchange under which labour is measured in units of time, rather than economic 'value'.)
Source: Josh Ryan-Collins, Lucie Stephens and Anna Coote, The New Wealth of Time: How timebanking helps people build better public services, New Economics Foundation (020 7820 6300)
Links: Report | NEF press release
Date: 2008-Nov
The government published a final report on two projects designed to investigate ways to promote private investment in social enterprises. It was found that social enterprises might not always understand what it meant to be 'investment ready'; that there was sufficient evidence to demonstrate that investors could be willing to pursue socially adjusted financial (or blended) return; that the marketplace for such investments was imperfect, and there could be significant transaction costs and co-ordination problems in bringing investors to market; and that appropriate investment products that built in social returns were not yet widely available or understood.
Source: Social Investment Pilots: Action research final report, Office of the Third Sector/Cabinet Office (020 7276 6400)
Links: Report | Cabinet Office press release
Date: 2008-Nov
A paper said that community-led enterprise organizations could drive positive change in their neighbourhoods, creating a self-help and problem-solving culture, and help individuals move out of poverty. Although many community groups were struggling, a new generation of more confident and aspirational community organizations was emerging. These were characterized by the use of social enterprise methods, community asset ownership, and a 'can do' attitude that sought to unlock potential in people and places – in short, 'community enterprise'.
Source: Glen Arradon and Steve Wyler, What Role for Community Enterprises in Tackling Poverty?, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Date: 2008-Sep
A report examined levels of understanding and awareness of social enterprise, and how new people could be attracted to the sector. Social enterprise was poorly understood, and needed a more recognizable identity. The sector needed to be repositioned within the economy, to be more clearly identified as a credible business option, and to be distinguished from the voluntary sector.
Source: Central Office of Information, Is Social Enterprise at a Crossroads?, Office of the Third Sector/Cabinet Office (020 7276 6400)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Sep
A think-tank report identified the steps required to complete the infrastructure for a thriving social investment market.
Source: Jessica Brown, Social Investment for Community Development: Completing the half-built house, New Economics Foundation (020 7820 6300)
Links: Report | NEF press release
Date: 2008-Sep
A report identified new ways to encourage and support black and ethnic minority women into starting social enterprises.
Source: Social Enterprise: Making it Work for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women, Government Equalities Office (020 7944 0601)
Links: Report | Cabinet Office press release
Date: 2008-Aug
A think-tank report said that enterprise was too often associated with making money, whereas it was also about creating a culture of initiative, creativity, and risk-taking among young people and adults. It was also about using entrepreneurial energy to drive wider social change.
Source: Shawnee Keck and Alessandra Buonfino (eds.), The Future Face of Enterprise, Demos, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Report | Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jul
An article used the 'capabilities approach' as a unifying theoretical framework for understanding the concept of social entrepreneurship. This approach was useful in evaluating and then linking the causal, motivational, behavioural, and directive dimensions of social entrepreneurship.
Source: Emmanuel Yujuico, 'Connecting the dots in social entrepreneurship through the capabilities approach', Socio-Economic Review, Volume 6 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Jul
A report examined social enterprise networks in England. Network coverage at both national and regional level was 'adequate': but there were gaps at the sub-regional level, in terms of geographic spread, and in the real estate and education sectors. There was also a demand for peer-to-peer learning.
Source: Rocket Science UK Ltd, Review of Social Enterprise Networks, Office of the Third Sector/Cabinet Office (020 7276 6400)
Links: Report | OTS press release
Date: 2008-Mar
A new book examined the potential role of social enterprise in community regeneration.
Source: Andrew Mawson, The Social Entrepreneur: Making Communities Work, Atlantic Books (01903 828800)
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jan