The social enterprise sector in Scotland is vibrant, growing and making a difference to communities and the environment the length and breadth of the country. National support bodies are working hard to provide relevant and effective support covering all aspects of setting up, developing and running a social enterprise, from business planning, finance, funding and governance to influencing policy at a national level.
If you are thinking about setting up a social enterprise, need support for an existing social enterprise or want to find out more about social enterprise, please see the following guide for information and links to national support bodies:
Social Enterprise Scotland
Social Enterprise Scotland is the collective and campaigning voice of social enterprise, and provides access to Scotland’s social enterprise community. They are an independent membership led organisation that works to raise the profile of social enterprise, and represent members’ interests at a national policy level. They work to bring together all the relevant information and different aspects of the social enterprise community in one place, campaigning and influencing on issues and policies that matter to the sector.
In 2022, Scottish Government announced their decision to fund a single umbrella National Social Enterprise Intermediary (SEI), after requests from the social enterprise sector to have a single enhanced intermediary representing it nationally. Following a consultation process, and an open selection, Social Enterprise Scotland was awarded the role of SEI, which was in place from July 2022, and have expressed their commitment to growing a strong, inclusive voice for social enterprise.
For further information, visit the Social Enterprise Scotland website.
Just Enterprise
Just Enterprise is a consortium of some of Scotland’s key social enterprise support bodies, providing a free, one-stop business support, development and learning service for social enterprise. Funded by Scottish Government, the 2023-27 Just Enterprise consortium consists of the following specialist sector support agencies:
- CEIS
- CEMVO Scotland
- Community Enterprise Ltd
- Firstport
- Impact Hub Inverness (via HISEZ)
- Inspiralba
- Inpirent (formerly Lanarkshire Enterprise Services Ltd (LESL))
- SEI UK
- Social Enterprise Academy Scotland
- Social Investment Scotland
- Social Value Lab
- The Circle
In June 2022, after changes to the funding within the social enterprise sector, Partnership for Procurement (P4P) was absorbed into Just Enterprise. Their website (linked for your convenience), while not being updated, is still available, with all existing information and resources remaining available.
Procurement and tendering support for social enterprises is now available through Just Enterprise, including:
- a Tendering e-learning module
- Introduction to Tendering training
- Improving Your Tender training
- Scaling Up Your Social Enterprise support
In 2018, Scottish Government released an independent evaluation of the programme, available on the Scottish Government website; in June 2023, the programme was launched for the 2023-27 period.
For further information on the support offered to Scotland’s social enterprises, please visit the Just Enterprise website.
Senscot
Prior to 2022, Senscot was a membership organisation, acting as the umbrella body for social enterprise networks in Scotland, representing, promoting and supporting a network of networks. After changes to the funding within the sector, the organisation closed in June 2022.
Àrachas3 (previously Senscot Legal)
Senscot Legal was established in 2010 to provide support in legal matters to the social enterprise sector and wider third sector. A social enterprise themselves, Senscot Legal provided affordable, high quality legal advice and support to social enterprises, charities, community and voluntary organisations, community housing associations and everyone in between, from small community groups to organisations that operate at a national level.
After the closure of Senscot in 2022, the team behind Senscot Legal set up Àrachas3 as a legacy social enterprise offering similar bespoke legal services.
For further information about their services, please visit the Àrachas3 website.
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Funding and Social Investment
Firstport
Firstport is Scotland’s development agency for start-up social enterprise. Since 2007, Firstport has enabled pre start-up and start-up social entrepreneurs to test, refine and grow their ideas in to viable social enterprise businesses. They also provide funding for social enterprises, including Pounds for Purpose for young people aged 16 – 26 years old, Start It, Build It, and the Social Innovation Challenge Fund.
Find out more on the Firstport website.
Social Investment Scotland
Social Investment Scotland (SIS) is a charity and social enterprise that provides loan funding and business support to the third sector in Scotland. Set up by Scottish Government in 2001, SIS has supported many social enterprises to scale-up, grow and deliver increased social impact.
To find out more, visit the Social Investment Scotland website.
Responsible Finance
Responsible Finance is the new name for the Community Development Finance Association (CDFA).
Responsible Finance represents Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs), who provide loans to people and businesses who struggle to get finance from high street banks. They provide support as well as finance, giving extra help and advice when it’s needed.
Find out more about Responsible Finance and other CDFIs on the Responsible Finance website.
Other sources of funding and investment include:
- The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland
- Funding Scotland
- Community Shares Scotland
- DSL Business Finance
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Training and Education
Social Enterprise Academy Scotland
The Social Enterprise Academy (SEA) was established in 2004 and has supported over 7500 people with learning and development opportunities all over Scotland. They work at local and national levels, bringing together learners to share and learn together, at all stages of personal and organisational growth.
For more about their innovative approach, training programmes and development opportunities, visit the Social Enterprise Academy Scotland website.
School for Social Entrepreneurs (Scotland)
The School for Social Entrepreneurs (Scotland) (SSE) provides on-going training and support across Scotland to individuals trying to create and sustain social businesses. SSE provides training in the form of specialised workshops and ongoing opportunities to enable individuals to use their entrepreneurial and creative skills to develop social businesses, social enterprises and charities that benefit the communities in which they live.
Find out more about the SSE and the training and support available on the School for Social Entrepreneurs (Scotland) website.
Other providers of training and education for social enterprise include:
- The Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship (via The University of Strathclyde)
- The Business School (via Edinburgh Napier University)
- Young Enterprise Scotland (YES)
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