Social Enterprise

Social Enterprises are businesses that seek to address social and environmental issues through reinvesting all their profits from trading.

This more-than-profit approach is gaining momentum and is already used by co-operatives, credit unions, development trusts and housing associations.

CVS Falkirk promotes social enterprise as a model of doing business. We work with existing social enterprises, and encourage individuals and organisations to be more socially enterprising, through a range of services, including (but not limited to):

Start up guidance
Business idea development
Business planning
Identifying funders
Partnership working
Legal and compliance issues
Measuring social impact
Tendering and procurement

National Signposting

We help with links to national social enterprise support bodies and funders, and constantly horizon-scan for new developments that we can highlight to social enterprises.

Local Opportunities

We have a variety of local support options for social enterprises in Falkirk, who are familiar with the social enterprise model and can offer guidance on different subjects.

To find out more about the ways CVS Falkirk work with social enterprises, please contact us.

Forth Valley Social Enterprise Network and Online Directory

Forth Valley Social Enterprise Network (FVSEN) is a membership network promoting and supporting social enterprises across Forth Valley, facilitated by CVS Falkirk, CTSI and SVE.

FVSEN is free to join, and acts as a forum for:

peer support and information sharing
potential inter-trading
engagement with policy makers, funders and other strategic partners

Its Online Directory is an online catalogue of FVSEN members, an innovative and easy to access way for people to ensure they are buying local goods and services with social, ethical and environmental benefits.

For further information, including how to join FVSEN and list your social enterprise on the Directory, please visit the Directory’s About page.

Alternatively, contact FVSEN by email: info@fvsen.scot or the CVS Falkirk & District team by email: info@cvsfalkirk.org.uk

Meeting Dates

2025: meeting in-person on:

Thursday 6 February 2025 (Clackmannanshire)
Thursday 12 June 2025 (Stirling)
Thursday 15 October 2025 (Falkirk)

Resource Library – Social Enterprise

A list which links to useful documents and guides detailing important information when setting up or running a social enterprise, Community Interest Company (CIC) or Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).

These have been created by our Social Enterprise team (or adapted from external organisations, who have been credited) and are review marked and referenced in accordance with our quality management system. If you would like to use one as a starting point for your own organisation, please feel free to do so.

To view the full range of available documents and templates, please visit our dedicated page.

Scotland’s Social Enterprise Strategy

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, accompanied by a series of 3 year Action Plans.

For further information, please visit our dedicated Social Enterprise Strategy page.

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 are to be carried out over the next 2 years, prioritising collaboration and enhancing local networks and partnerships with organisations to boost investment.

For a full list of the 17 actions, please visit our dedicated page.

Social Enterprise Support Map

The online Social Enterprise Support Map has been created to help Scotland’s social enterprises and entrepreneurs navigate the social enterprise ecosystem in Scotland, and highlight what support is available.

There is a large network of support available to social entrepreneurs in Scotland; the map is designed to help identify what support organisations do, and who will provide the best support. The support options are categorised by type, location, sector and ambitions, making it easy for people to find what they are looking for

For further information, please visit the Social Enterprise Support Map.

The Voluntary Code of Practice for Social Enterprise in Scotland

“The Code”, as it is known, was developed by the Scottish social enterprise community in response to the UK-wide debate around a definition of what a social enterprise is. Many in the Scottish social enterprise community felt that the debate was blurring the lines between genuine social enterprises and private businesses delivering social benefits for private profit.

The Code highlights a set of shared values and behaviours, and provides the foundation for a self-regulatory community of mutual understanding. It sets the boundary between social enterprise and the private sector. Developed by the sector, for the sector, the Code will always aim to adapt and evolve to suit the changing needs of the sector.

The Code recognises five basic criteria for social enterprise – and in a short appendix identifies some less ‘defined’.