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Social enterprises are big business. Over 88,000 jobs are supported by the sector in Scotland and it contributes £2.3bn GVA. Around a third of Scotland’s social enterprises are in rural areas. There are more than 1,200 in the Highlands and Islands.
Social enterprises trade just like any other businesses, but at their heart they have a social purpose. They trade for social, community and environmental benefits rather than distributing profits to shareholders or owners.
Across the HIE area social enterprises own and manage land, including whole estates and islands, harness renewable energy technologies, create employment, undertake infrastructure projects and provide an increasingly diverse range of essential services.
We work with social enterprises through a range of support services including advice, funding and property.
As a business with a social purpose you have access to all our business support programmes, and a bit more. We are able to help earlier with developing your idea, and support you with various stages of development. Find out more here.
Some key facts from the Social Enterprise Census 2019
of our region's social enterprises are in rural areas
GVA social enterprise economic contribution
of social enterprises pay at least the living wage to employees
of our social enterprises are led by women
We're leading on an exciting three year Interreg North West Europe funded programme to nurture and grow social businesses.
The Support Network for Social Entrepreneurs (SuNSE) is running across eight countries, all with the shared goal to create an international network of hubs across Europe. Each one supports people to establish locally-based social businesses. This is great for community resilience - the new enterprises create career opportunities, and deliver what are often vital local products and services, regenerating communities with market failure.
Check out our latest newsletter to read what we were up to in 2019.
If you have a great idea for a business or service which could make a difference to your local community or environment, then we can help you get it off the ground.
As part of the project in our region, we’re developing four social start up schools in Sutherland, Wester Ross, Easter Ross and in the Outer Hebrides. Designed to provide local hubs in the heart of these rural locations, the COVID-19 pandemic means we’re currently delivering the project online.
In addition to the business services available to social enterprises, we also work with community led organisations to support community project planning, asset ownership, fund management and more.
If your enterprise is part of a wider community-led development find out the others ways we can help.
Meet some of the fantastic social enterprises and organisations already working in Scotland. They all have a great story to tell, and may provide some good ideas as you develop your plans.
