ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the support infrastructure for a specific segment of the SME market, namely social enterprises. First, it explains the different definitions of social enterprise found in different countries. Second, it discusses the rationales for public-sector interest in support, examining how this differs between countries and over time. Third, it presents the different types of support that are commonly provided. Social enterprises are often presented as alternative approaches to delivering benefits to communities, linking both the themes of enterprise and social inclusion. The roles of procurement officers or commissioners are central in encouraging social enterprises to deliver services and being invited to bid for contracts. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Latin America, Africa and Asia often operate on business lines, using income from trading and contracts to deliver public services. Some welcome the use of business models and the language of enterprise, while others find the labels of enterprise, business and entrepreneurship alien.