Around the world the social enterprise movement is growing. On every continent, social enterprises are taking on the biggest social problems – reducing poverty, tackling income inequality, fighting for women’s rights, creating jobs and tackling the climate crisis.

Research published by the Schwab Foundation’s Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship in January 2024 found that there are approximately 10 million social enterprises worldwide, which collectively generate around $2 trillion in annual revenues, creating over 200 million jobs.

Working in partnership with the British Council, we have been at the forefront of carrying out research into the global impact of the social movement and the evidence shows a dynamic sector dedicated to driving growth in a sustainable, equitable way and meeting the needs of the population within the means of the living planet. The evidence shows that globally social enterprises are:

• often creating jobs for women more than business more widely, often led by young people and much more likely to be led by women than business more widely
• working across all sectors of the economy, all around the world, from agriculture to arts, culture and heritage and from education to food, health and manufacturing
• creating jobs, often faster than other businesses, often optimistic and with plans to grow

They are also facing a number of barriers when seeking to access finance and more widely, including staff and talent. Across the globe, governments have been developing policies and strategies to support the development of social enterprise. You can read more here.

Our work to help grow the global movement

Social Enterprise UK works around the world to promote social enterprise as a means to deliver more inclusive sustainable development. We have worked with the British Council and others in over 30 countries to help develop the social enterprise ecosystem, from Brazil to Turkey and Ghana to Indonesia.

This work includes:

• delivering research to map the state of social enterprise in over 25 countries.
• designing, hosting and organising visits from politicians and decision makers to the UK to meet with British experts and policy makers.
• sharing lessons and good practice, provide insight and support, disseminating and sharing policy advice with partners at the Euclid Network, the World Economic Forum’s Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship, UN agencies, ILO and the World Bank, among others.
• brokering opportunities for members, partners and others.
• helping steer the direction of the Social Enterprise World Forum, and its global network.
• helping build and support our peer national membership organisations in other countries.
• developing learning and support programmes for social enterprise leaders and policymakers.
• providing bespoke, specialist business consultancy support and technical assistance to individual organisations and agencies.
• speaking at events, inspiring political leaders and decision makers