Scotland’s Social Enterprise Strategy 2016-2026 is a 10 year national social enterprise strategy, which sets out Scottish Government’s shared ambitions for social enterprise in Scotland, jointly developed with the sector. It provides a framework for action over the next decade, and positions social enterprise as central to achieving Scottish Government’s shared vision of a fair society and inclusive economy.
It has been developed through a process of co-production, where Scottish Government has worked with the social enterprise community to articulate shared ambitions and find ways to deliver on these. Much of the work was informed by Scotland’s first official census of social enterprise activity, and by the ambitions already set out in “Scotland’s Vision for Social Enterprise 2025”.
The strategy will build on the supportive ecosystem, developed over the previous decade, and will cement Scotland’s reputation as world-leading and the best place to start and grow a social enterprise.
The strategy focuses on 3 main priorities:
- Stimulating social enterprise
- Developing stronger organisations
- Realising market opportunities
The strategy will be accompanied by a series of 3 year Action Plans. These will describe in more detail the evolving commitments, initiatives and programmes which will deliver on the long-term priorities listed above.
To access the full strategy, please visit the Scottish Government website.
2024 – 2026 Action Plan: “Driving a Wellbeing Economy for Scotland”
The 2024 – 2026 Action Plan was released in November 2024, forming part of Scottish Government’s long-term commitment to realising the full potential of social enterprise as described in the 10 year Social Enterprise Strategy.
The final action plan of the strategy, it acknowledged the sector’s resilience and adaptability amidst economic pressures and societal shifts, with 17 actions designed to underpin an ambition to strengthen and improve the wider ecosystem, fostering innovation, inclusivity and sustainability.
The action (listed below) are to be carried out over the next 2 years, prioritising collaboration and enhancing local networks and partnerships with organisations to boost investment.
Stimulating Social Enterprise
1. Invest £3.2m in the Social Entrepreneurs Fund across the life of this Action Plan, expanding access to include applications from community groups.
2. Ensure that Scottish social enterprises are promoted, recognised and valued as mainstream business models both within Scotland and internationally.
3. Continue to invest in entrepreneurship and commercialisation opportunities across the social enterprise ecosystem.
4. Provide additional support to enable social enterprises to embrace digital transformation.
5. Enhance support and coordination for social enterprises looking to access funding or business support.
6. Encourage local and regional networking and collaboration by Social Enterprise Networks (SENs) and Third Sector Interfaces (TSIs).
7. Open a dialogue with the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) to encourage investment into the social enterprise ecosystem.
Developing Stronger Organisations
8. Promoting and showcasing ‘best practice’ across the social economy both within Scotland and globally.
9. Advocate for supportive policies and raise awareness of social enterprises across Public Sector organisations.
10. Conduct a review of funding and social investment mechanisms to ensure alignment with sector needs.
11. Reinvest financial returns from the Scottish Social Growth Fund back into the social enterprise ecosystem to support organisations in crisis.
12. Reinvest financial returns from the Scottish Social Growth Fund to support increased diversity and inclusion within the social enterprise ecosystem.
13. Increase the diversity of social enterprise boards to reflect the population of Scotland.
Realising Market Opportunities
14. Launch a national Buy Social marketing campaign and promote Buy Social Scotland Internationally.
15. Develop a thematic directory of social enterprises in Scotland.
16. Consortia Development and Procurement Support Programme.
17. Explore the potential to launch a national Social Enterprise Dynamic Purchasing System.
For further information, please visit the dedicated 2024 – 2026 Social Enterprise Action Plan page, or the Social Enterprise Scotland news announcement.
2021 – 2024 Action Plan
In March 2021, Scottish Government launched a new Social Enterprise Action Plan to offer increased support to the social enterprise sector, designed to boost its potential for growth and putting the social enterprise model at the heart of Scotland’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This 3 year action plan is part of Scottish Government’s commitment to social enterprise as a way of doing business for the common good and to building a wellbeing economy, with key investments including: £2 million to ensure that by 2024 every school child will have the opportunity to engage with a social enterprise project, investing an additional £1.5 million to build on the successful programme of support offered through Adapt and Thrive, and investing £1.5 million to create a clear pipeline for social enterprises from conception to the international market.
A new Social Enterprise Action Plan Steering Group has been created to support delivery of the 2021 – 2024 Social Enterprise Action Plan. Its members come from key delivery partners across the sector, and their role is to advise on and influence delivery of the action plan.
For further information, please visit the dedicated 2021 – 2024 Social Enterprise Action Plan page, or the Scottish Government’s new announcement.
