Social enterprise provides a means to improve social wellbeing, environmental sustainability, and economic performance.

Social enterprises are purpose-driven organisations that that trade goods and services to achieve social, environmental, economic, and cultural outcomes. Social enterprises are businesses which trade but reinvest their profits into their social or environmental aims. 

Social Enterprise is a global movement that is steadily building momentum here in New Zealand. Leaders from government, not for profit and business sectors are recognising that social enterprise offers a unique combination of social purpose and financial independence, and provides a new option for both customers and suppliers alike.

​A common way to describe this is to use a spectrum with traditional charities at one end and traditional businesses at the other, with varieties of social enterprise occupying the space in between.

Globally, social enterprises are creating hybrid markets and new forms of entrepreneurship, innovation, and capital. We believe supporting this emerging sector will deliver:

• Improved social, environmental and economic outcomes
• Increased innovation in community and public service provision
• Creation of jobs and training opportunities, especially for young people and rural communities
• Communities developing their own solutions, leading to resilient local economies
• Greater engagement between the business and community sectors
• Government and philanthropic bodies having greater flexibility to target spending and encourage more private capital into areas where there is a need for new solutions

Find out more about social enterprise through our Events and Workshops