Impact For Researchers
The ESEM represents a wealth of opportunities for researchers, offering benchmarkable data collected across diverse European countries and encompassing numerous variables of interest in analysing the social enterprise model.
Beyond the needs and challenges of social enterprises, the ESEM datasets include information on their legal, structural and governance characteristics, as well as on their financial performance and impact models, objectives and measurement practices. Crucially, the ESEM survey tests various aspects included in national different definitions of social enterprise (such as impact prioritisation, level of trading income, reinvestment of profits and participatory governance), enabling configuration of the datasets to various conceptions of the social enterprise model. For researchers, such nuanced and comparable data can enable deep analyses on questions of critical importance for the sector, not just in terms of their academic merit, but also with regard to their practical implications for designing better funding, support and policy initiatives for diverse social enterprises across Europe.
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“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!”
Professor and Director, ESADE Centre for Social Impact
Explore the ESEM
Explore the National and European-wide reports for 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.
Explore the National and European-wide reports for 2020-2021
The European Commission is proud to have supported the first inaugural European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM). It serves as a testament to the extent social enterprises already contribute to the European community and how much potential they still have to offer.
Are you a partner organisation looking to
Join the consortium
If your country is not yet covered by the ESEM,
or if your organisation is not yet part of the consortium, we are open to inquiries about participation from organisations possessing strong, extensive social enterprise networks or (academic) expertise on social enterprise.
