Award categories are:
• Best Social Enterprise (turnover of £1 million plus)
• Best Social Enterprise (turnover of less than £1 million)
• Best New Social Enterprise
Award winners will receive up to £5,000 along with business support packages and a national media platform to promote their business.
Stage 1 – Applications for the national heats in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each country will announce one winner from each of the categories. The closing date for applications is 28th September 2009.
Stage 2 – During Global Entrepreneurship Week the national winners will be announced. Online voting will then be opened and for one week members of the public will be encouraged to vote for winners in each category and to name one winner the Social Enterprise of the Year.
The SEC will also run the Best Social Enterprise in Schools, an additional award which seeks to recognise some of the UK’s most enterprising students. The award is open to all social enterprises operating in schools in England during the academic year 2008/09.
For further information visit www.socialenterpriseawards.org.uk
Social Enterprise Summit
Following the Social Enterprise Summit on the 12th May 2009 the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) has released a next steps document which highlights Government commitments in response to the Summit.
Key commitments include:
• OTS driving forward the social enterprise
agenda in partnership across other departments. A policy statement will
be issued in the autumn as part of the government’s work on wider third
sector policy.
• The Department for Communities and Local Government developing a
Social Enterprise Strategy which aims to increase the role of social
enterprises in delivering the Department’s aims and objectives.
• The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) working with
OTS to find new ways to enhance promotion and support for social
enterprise, engaging with new audiences and enable social entrepreneurs
to support each other. Examples of how this is to achieved include:
1. Ensuring the sector is understood and that budding social entrepreneurs can easily access information and help
2. Focusing on the key issue of peer-to-peer support and mentoring
3. BIS and OTS working with HM Treasury to enhance understanding of issues relating to access to finance
4. Involving the social enterprise sector in wider thinking on the future of business and skills
To download a copy of the document visit http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/228711/090720%20social%20enterprise%20summit%20%20next%20steps%20(final).pdf