Social Enterprises are businesses that are changing the world for the better. Like traditional businesses they aim to make a profit but it’s what they do with their profits that sets them apart – reinvesting or donating them to create positive social change. Social enterprises are in our communities and on our high streets – from coffee shops and craft shops, to garden centres and sports clubs, credit unions and community transport companies.

By selling goods and services in the open market, social enterprises create employment and reinvest their profits back into their local communities. This allows them to tackle social problems, improve people’s life chances, provide training and employment opportunities for those furthest from the market, support communities and help the environment.

sparking social innovation Social enterprises exist in nearly every sector throughout the East Transfrontier Region from consumer goods to healthcare, community energy to creative agencies, restaurants to facilities management. The thousands of social enterprises within the East Transfrontier Region contribute many millions of Euros to the economy and employ thousands of people. They’re creating jobs and opportunities for those
most marginalised from the workforce, transforming the areas they work in and making the Sustainable Development Goals a reality.

The WIN team helps those working in the NGO sector to:

– Define their social and/or environmental mission and ensure that this is reflected in their governing
documents.

– To generate the majority of their income through trading a product or service.

– Design reinvestment strategies for their profits.

– Maintain their independence from undue political influence.

– Ensure that the motivation of their board of volunteers is sustained.

– Their social mission is maintained and kept relevant to the needs of society.

– That they are compliant with regulatory standards with accountability and transparency.

The WIN Social Enterprise Programme also facilitates co-operation and co-production between social enterprises. WIN has built a strong social enterprise network across the East Transfrontier Region by building partnerships, mentoring and convening networking events.