FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a social enterprise?

Social enterprises are businesses set up to tackle social or environmental issues. So rather than generating profits for owners or shareholders, their main aim is to earn income through trading to create further social or environmental benefits.

The most widely adopted definition of social enterprise, used by organisations such as the Social Enterprise Coalition and RISE, is from the Government's Department for Trade and Industry:

"Social enterprises are businesses with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners." Social Enterprise: a strategy for success, 2001.

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.

Social enterprises can use the Social Enterprise Mark on their products and services to inform customers about the wider social or environmental impacts that they offer - so influencing and reinforcing the customer's decision to purchase from social enterprises.

Applicants must provide evidence against a set of criteria which proves that they are a social enterprise and that they are creating social or environmental impact.

We do not try to assess the quality of the products or services that they are trading. There are a range of other quality tools which do this - for each specific type of industry. We will encourage Social Enterprise Mark holders to use these.

Who is The Social Enterprise Mark for?

Organisations which want to apply for the Social Enterprise Mark must be established social enterprises with a trading history. Applicants must provide evidence that they are social enterprises in terms of their social or environmental aims, levels of trading, distribution of profits, and the way that they are governed. They must also provide externally verified evidence that they are achieving their social or environmental aims. For more information about the qualifying criteria.

Where can I find out about organisations that have been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark?

To find out which organisations have been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark see our Services/Products page. You can use the search tool to find Social Enterprise Mark licensees in your local area or search for a particular product or service.

Why do some organisations claim to be a social enterprise but not carry the Mark?

Some organisations may be a social enterprise but may not have applied yet to the Social Enterprise Mark. Why don't you suggest it?

The Social Enterprise Mark offers an easy and recognisable way of identifying social enterprises. The Social Enterprise Mark is an independent customer guarantee that an organisation is a social enterprise.

The Mark is specifically aimed at established social enterprises that have a trading history and are able to demonstrate that they are achieving wider social or environmental benefits. Many emerging social enterprises aspire to gain the Social Enterprise Mark.

The Social Enterprise Mark was officially launched at the end of November 2007 in the South West of England and it is expected that the number of organisations using it will steadily grow. If the Mark is expanded nationwide then this will significantly increase the number of organisations using it.

Our social enterprise is not operational in the South West of England. Can we still apply?

At present only those organisations that trade in the South West of England are eligible to apply for the Social Enterprise Mark. However, already there has been a lot of interest in the Mark up and down the country and RISE is exploring expanding it nationwide. Please let us know if you are outside South West England and would like to use the Mark.