Latest insights from the EU Social Enterprise sector

“ESEM will become the “go to place” for taking the pulse of a vibrant and increasing community of social enterprises in Europe.”

“ESEM will be a powerful tool for monitoring the progress of SE ecosystem development on national and European level; at the same time a desperately needed database of relevant information on SE operations and SE ecosystems, not only for policy makers and researchers, but for SE support organisations (SESO), SEs themselves, academy, funders and other stakeholders as well. ACT Group, one of the most active Croatian SESOs, as partner on the ESEM project, joined the consortium to enhance the development of Croatian SEs, to bring the Western Balkan SE ecosystem on the EU agenda and to co-create more enabling SE ecosystems on European level.”

“In a Danish context a report with detailed data on the status and impact of social enterprises has never been produced. We think that it is very important for social enterprises and the social economy sector as a whole to be able to present this kind of documentation. It is important, both in Denmark and the rest of Europe, to be able to inform decision makers and to raise the awareness of the general public of the positive impact that this sector has on society. That is why we are very happy to be part of the ESEM project.”

“ESEM is important to gain a better understanding of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Europe. We need better data to be able to be able to explain to policymakers and others what the needs of social enterprises are. More comprehensive data will enable us to conduct research on the sector to better understand issues such as the barriers social enterprises face in terms of innovation, growth, financing and impact. ESEM will help social enterprises move closer to reaching the United Nations SDGs because we will strive to raise awareness and increase the visibility of the important work of social enterprises, attracting more resources and talent to the sector, and ultimately enabling social enterprises to have a greater impact on society!”

“Policymakers need data to make good decisions. The ESEM gives them deep insights into the important work of Social Entrepreneurs in Europe.”

“The European Commission is proud to support this year’s European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM), the second edition covering the period 2021- 2022. This report builds on the seminal work of the first ESEM 2020-2021 and has impressively scaled from eight to 21 countries in just one year across the EU and the wider European neighbourhood. It provides key data and insights for policy-makers, investors, support organisations, academia and social entrepreneurs themselves.”

“The European Social Enterprise Monitor, which Google.org is pleased to support, is a critically important instrument that … provides key data for policy makers, support organisations and funders…”

“The European Social Enterprise Monitor has been a key tool for us in understanding the challenges and how we can best be helpful in creating solutions to address them. This is what laid the foundations for for Google.org’s EUR 20 million Social Innovation Fund, which is supporting leading social enterprise support organisations across Europe to create and scale programmes that provide underserved social entrepreneurs with access to networks, skills, tools and capital.”

“We need to work together to create an environment in which social entrepreneurs and innovators can thrive…[t]he European Social Enterprise Monitor and the work of Euclid Network is a critical component in helping to facilitate and inform this.”

“...resources like the European Social Enterprise Monitor provide vital support to unite and inform all stakeholders across the social enterprise community. Together, we can continue unlocking the power of the social economy and its value-driven business models.”