About us

RISE

RISE, the voice for South West social enterprises, is the manager of the Social Enterprise Mark, operating in South West England. RISE is working to make the Social Enterprise Mark available nationwide by 2010. The Mark is subject to strong interest and demand across the UK and has benefited from wide press coverage.

RISE has a small team that is working towards the achievement of a favourable environment for social enterprises to develop and flourish in South West England. Meet the RISE team

What is the Social Enterprise Mark?

The Social Enterprise Mark is a label which tells customers that a product or service comes from a social enterprise.

To be eligible for the Social Enterprise Mark a supplier must demonstrate that they are a social enterprise and provide evidence that they are delivering a social or environmental benefit. Apply to use the Mark.

The Social Enterprise Mark is currently available to social enterprises trading in South West England, with a view to expanding nationally in the future. Let us know if you are interested in this.

Click here for further information about social enterprises.

History

There has been ongoing debate in the social enterprise sector about how social enterprises can better make its case to customers. Many still do not understand the added social or environmental value of purchasing from a social enterprise rather than a traditional business.

One way to increase customer awareness of social enterprise is to establish a recognised brand or label. This could be used to inform or remind customers about the added social or environmental value of purchasing from a social enterprise and help influence their purchasing decisions.

In recent years this idea has been gathering support, with a growing body of research highlighting the need for a social enterprise label, such as ‘Social enterprise - through the eyes of the customer' (National Consumer Council, 2004) and the ‘Together for Trade' (RISE, June 2006). So RISE, the regional network for social enterprises in the South West, seized this opportunity to develop the Social Enterprise Mark.

The Social Enterprise Mark is the only social enterprise label open to all types of social enterprises. It offers the opportunity to gain widespread recognition of social enterprise amongst customers.

The Social Enterprise Mark is funded by The National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund, with sponsorship from the South West of England Regional Development Agency, the Co-operative Group South & West and Triodos Bank, earned income and joining fees. In the medium term, RISE plans for it to be financially viable in its own right, with income from fees, the provision of advice/consultancy around quality improvement, and continued support from sponsors and the media.