Forum for Social Innovation Sweden , in collaboration with the Euclid Network and partners in seven European countries, Forum for Social Innovation Sweden the European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM) report. The report compiles statistics on social enterprises with the aim of gradually building a solid knowledge base to inform dialogue and decision-making in this field.
The ESEM Report 2020–2021 is the first study at the European level to focus on social enterprises in this way. The study and data collection were carried out in the fall of 2020 in close collaboration between the European partners, and social enterprises were surveyed about their experiences at both the national and European levels. In this first round of ESEM, Denmark, Estonia, Croatia, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Germany are participating.
“ESEM allows us to compare the conditions, challenges, and opportunities for social entrepreneurs in Sweden with those in other European countries and track developments over time,” says Hanna Sigsjö, Program Director at Forum for Social Innovation Sweden.
The Swedish government's strategy continues to cover highly relevant areas
The Swedish interim report from ESEM shows that the Swedish government’s strategy for social entrepreneurship and social innovation continues to cover highly relevant areas, but at the same time highlights the need for long-term and systematic investments to strengthen the impact of social innovation and social entrepreneurship on systemic innovation. The challenges faced by social entrepreneurs largely revolve around the knowledge and competencies of various societal actors that can strengthen the market for social entrepreneurship, business models, financing opportunities, and platforms for connecting expertise that can bolster social entrepreneurship. These aspects align well with the five identified areas of the Swedish national strategy “A Sustainable Society through Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation.”
– Social innovations and social enterprises contribute to the development of the systemic innovation needed by our welfare society, and could play an even more significant role in addressing pressing societal challenges such as health equity, children’s rights, digital inclusion, security, and the future of work—areas where social innovation is a key part of the solution. Long-term investments are needed to harness the power of social innovation and social entrepreneurship for system innovation in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, says Charlotte Ahlgren Moritz, Chair of the Board Forum for Social Innovation Sweden Vice President for Collaboration and Innovation at Malmö University.
Untapped potential in the role of intermediaries
In light of the Swedish ESEM findings, the role of intermediaries appears to be crucial for fostering an enabling ecosystem for social entrepreneurship and social innovation. The vast majority of social entrepreneurs do not appear to belong to any support organization or network. Only 15 percent receive support from membership-based network organizations, and fewer than one in ten social entrepreneurs report belonging to support organizations such as incubators or accelerators.
– Intermediaries that facilitate collaboration platforms and build bridges within the ecosystem to help social enterprises find ways to overcome challenges such as financing, skills development support, legal structures, complex business models, and regulatory frameworks have played a key role in many other countries in enabling social entrepreneurs to navigate these challenges and scale up their operations. Sweden has significant untapped potential in this area, says Lina Palmer, project manager for ESEM.
The statistics on Swedish social entrepreneurs will now be compared with the responses from social entrepreneurs in the other participating European countries. In June, Forum for Social Innovation Sweden will Forum for Social Innovation Sweden a forum to discuss the Swedish results in greater detail from a European perspective.
Fact: European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM)
The European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM) is the first European study of its kind to focus on social enterprises. It was conducted by the Euclid Network and partners in seven European countries. This round includes Denmark, Estonia, Croatia, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Germany. In Sweden,Forum for Social Innovation Sweden Forum for Social Innovation Sweden) conducted the survey and prepared the Swedish interim report. The survey was designed under the guidance of ESEM’s European Research Council, which consists of Professor Johanna Mair at the Hertie School of Governance and Academic Editor of the Stanford Social Innovation Review; Professor Matthias Raith at Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg (OvGU) – Faculty of Economics and Management, EURAM; and Professor Niels Bosma at Utrecht University – School of Economics.
Read the Swedish ESEM interim report