Minister presents prestigious Social Enterprise Mark to COSMIC

The Minister for the Cabinet Office, Ed Miliband MP, presented COSMIC with the Social Enterprise Mark at a meeting for the Social Enterprise Ambassadors. COSMIC, who are based in Ottery St. Mary are the first IT Company to receive this prestigious award and join other Devon businesses, including Mid-Devon Community Recycling and Devon Doctors.

Customers use the Social Enterprise Mark label to identify a genuine social enterprise, where profits are used to create a social or environmental benefit. Social enterprises are queuing up to use the Mark to show they are different from private businesses because they are driven by social or environmental aims, rather than generating profits for shareholders or owners. Social enterprises have to meet strict criteria to prove this, to be able to use the Mark. The Social Enterprise Mark is the only label of its kind and is being pioneered in South West England.

Julie Harris, COSMIC Chief Executive and Social Enterprise Ambassador said: “The whole team at COSMIC is delighted to receive the Social Enterprise Mark. Our social enterprise status is really important to customers, staff and partner organisations, and we believe the Social Enterprise Mark will help more people understand how we work in future. We are also delighted that Ed Miliband was available to present the award and recognise how COSMIC continues to lead the way in social enterprise developments."

The Social Enterprise Mark is funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund and is sponsored by the Co-operative Group South West and Triodos Bank. RISE is supported by the South West Regional Development Agency. RISE is the voice for social enterprise in South West England and they manage the Social Enterprise Mark in the region and have a steady stream of South West applicants flowing in.