What is a social enterprise?

Social enterprises are organisations with a social or environmental purpose that generate income by delivering goods and services.  The profits that they make from this are reinvested back into the business or the community they serve in order to create further social or environmental impact.

Many social enterprises also have charitable status (approximately 52% amongst those in Kent and Medway), but it is their effort to generate a proportion of their own income from trading activities that distinguishes them from other organisations in the third sector. 

KaMSEN recognises that some organisations are more established in doing this than others and so we identify two categories – fully fledged social enterprises and aspiring social enterprises.  These are marked by their levels of trading income – the former generating at least 50% of their own income and the latter at least 25%.  However, we also realise that there are others who aspire to the social enterprise model and we aim to be inclusive to all interested parties.   

Social enterprises operate in almost every industry in Kent and Medway, from adult education to children’s services, from health and social care to recreation, and from protecting the environment to community transport. 

This diversity of operation is also found in how each organisation is structured.  They are:-

Community Interest Companies,
Co-operatives,
Companies Limited by Guarantee
Industrial and Provident Societies. 

Each of these company structures protects and supports the social or environmental purpose of social enterprises, helping them to continually add value to what they do

For some inspirational examples of social enterprises, read case studies of some of our members.