Reports

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the economy. Communities will need help to rebuild at a time when there is growing strain on central and local government budgets. Although some households have seen their financial position worsen, others have seen it improve as they have been unable to spend due to COVID restrictions. Parts of society have seen significant increase in private savings. According to one research report, higher income households will have over £80bn in additional savings At a time when interest rates are at record lows there is an opportunity to use these savings productively to help communities to build back better. This report looks at how COVID savings can be used for public good with a specific focus on the use and expansion of Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR) to help social enterprises grow and create jobs. It proposes the use of SITR to help create “Build Back Britain” funds, place-based and used to support communities get back on their feet.

This report has been produced by The Association of Financial Mutuals, The Building Societies Association, Co-operatives UK, EOA and Social Enterprise UK, which between them represent mutuals, cooperatives and social enterprises operating right across the UK economy, and which employ over 2 million people. A YouGov survey in July 2020 showed 85% of consumers would prefer to buy from businesses that had a strong record for good conduct. Even before Covid, business groups had begun to see that a greater recognition of the role of business in, and impact on, society was required – and a reawakening of the question of purpose – why does a business exist, what societal need is it seeking to address, and how does it deliver this?

This report from the health and care think tank The King’s Fund, examines the different types of innovation social enterprises bring to the delivery of health and social care services. It features case studies from five SEUK members, ranging from GP practices, community healthcare providers, mental healthcare providers, and social care organisations supporting people with disabilities. The paper highlights, with specific examples, how these social enterprises excel at innovation, in areas that NHS bodies may find particularly useful to deliver on key policies such as the NHS People Plan, as well as ambitions within the Long Term plan to develop local NHS providers as anchor institutions and deliver on health inequalities. SEUK is working hard to level the playing field for social enterprises to enter and thrive in the health and social care sector. This paper emphasises why it is important to develop a health and social care sector that is welcoming and supportive of social enterprises.

This paper sets out our initial findings on this important topic. It is the starting point for a journey to better understand, and support, social enterprises as they engage with climate change. It looks both at the wider literature around social enterprises and the climate and also looks into what measures social enterprises are taking to ensure they have a positive environmental impact.

The 2019 State of Social Enterprise report written by Social Enterprise UK, and supported by Santander showcases how social enterprises are outperforming their peers whilst tackling the triple threat of economic stagnation, social division and environmental meltdown. In order to resolve the crisis in capitalism, more social enterprises are needed to rebalance the UK economy.

The Hidden Revolution, supported by Nationwide and Co-op Group, presents fresh analysis of the size and scale of the social enterprise sector. According to independent analysis, the social enterprise sector makes a £60bn contribution to UK GDP, compared to £24bn in previous research. The Hidden Revolution also brings together key statistics which show that social enterprises are more competitive than traditional firms, confirmed that social enterprises are the Future of Business.  

The 2017 State of Social Enterprise Report, supported by Santander, is the largest, most representative survey of social enterprises in the UK. It shows a commercially resilient sector outperforming mainstream SMEs when it comes to turnover growth, innovation, business optimism, start-up rates, diversity in leadership and more. It points towards the Future of Business. 

The State of Social Enterprise Report 2015, supported by Santander, is the most comprehensive research undertaken into the state of the sector. This report shows that social enterprises in the UK are thriving, outperforming their mainstream SME counterparts in nearly every area of business: turnover growth, workforce growth, job creation, innovation, business optimism, and start-up rates. The findings show that in a time of public sector austerity and globally networked markets, social enterprises are providing real answers to the significant social and environmental problems we face.