This document summarizes a presentation given at an OECD conference on building enabling ecosystems for social enterprises. The presentation discusses how social enterprises face barriers but policies can help them overcome these barriers. It also notes that social enterprises deliver both social and economic value. The presentation then outlines several key aspects of enabling policy ecosystems for social enterprises, including the importance of appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks, access to finance, access to markets, business support structures, and training and research. It emphasizes the need for coordination and cooperation across different levels of government and stakeholder participation to develop coherent social entrepreneurship policymaking.

1. BUILDING CONDUCIVE ECOSYSTEMS FOR
SOCIAL ENTERPRISES
Antonella Noya, Senior Policy Analyst
OCDE
OECD-EC CAPACITY BUILDING SEMINAR
“BUILDING ENABLING ECOSYSTEMS FROM SOCIAL ENTERPRISES”
BRUSSELS 22ND AND 23RD
APRIL 2015

2. • SEs face a number of barriers
• Policies can help SEs to overcome these
• Governments can establish fruitful relationships with SEs
which can help them in return to meet their policy
objectives
• SEs deliver SOCIAL ADDED VALUE
• SEs deliver ECONOMIC VALUE
Why public policies should support social
enterprises?

3. Legal and
regulatory
framework
Access
to
finance
Access
to
market
Business
support
structures
Training
and
research
Enabling policy ecosystems for social
enterprises

4. • Importance of having an appropriate legal framework in
place
• Policy makers and investors need clarity and
predictability. Legal and regulatory frameworks can
contribute to this.
• Legal framework s are important but not sufficient
• New legislation or adaptation of existing legal forms?
Legal and regulatory frameworks

5. • Mix of financial resources for SE
• Evolving landscape for social enterprises finances
• Role of government changing towards a ‘catalyst role’ but
still an important direct role in providing funds
• Range of different financing tools needed:
– Debt, equity and quasi-equity instruments, patient
capital
• Government can contribute through:
– Credit guarantees
– Fiscal incentives for investors
– Partnerships with social finance intermediaries and
investors
5
Access to finance

6. Stronger, more resilient, social economy
organisations
Procurement
policy
Levelling
the
playing
field
Improving
the
managerial
capacity
6
Access to markets

7. • Importance of business support structures
• Is there a favorite model? Is a ‘braided’ system of support
a better solution?
• Emergence of new business support structures
• Hubs and incubators need to be spread and supported.
Business support structures

8. Training and research
• Appropriate training and skills provision is
needed
• Capacity building is important (both for policy
makers and social enterprises)
• Research contributes to the identification and
articulation of SEs needs, functions and
potential : importance of co -constructed
knowledge
8

9. Policy co-construction:coordination and
co-operation
Working
horizontally
across silos
Working
vertically
across levels
of government
Participation
of relevant
stakeholders
Reduction in
information
asymmetries
Reduction in
transaction
costs
Greater policy
coherence and
effectiveness!

10. SOU
A coherent policy making process for social entrepreneurship
International
Network
Social Economy
Actorsand
Stakeholders
SUPRA-
NATIONAL
Clusterof
Institutions(i.e. EU)
REGIONAL
GOVERNMENT
Horizontal
Multi-stakeholder
Spaces
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
Horizontal
Multi-stakeholder
Spaces
NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
Horizontal
Multi-stakeholder
Spaces
Intermediaries
SSE / SE
C
o
-
C
o
n
s
t
r
u
c
t
i
o
n
C
o
o
r
d
i
n
a
t
i
o
n
Source: Mendell, M (2010)
“Improving social inclusion at the
local level through the social
economy: Designing an enabling
policy framework” OECD Local
Economic and Employment
Development (LEED) Working
Papers, OECD Publishing

11. Thank you!!
• For further information on OECD work on
social economy and social
entrepreneurship:
Antonella Noya: antonella.noya@oecd.org
Stellina Galitopoulou:
stellina.galitopoulou@oecd.org
11