Together to the impact economy!

Social entrepreneurs are frontrunners. They go off the beaten path and sometimes against the grain. To achieve systemic improvement. This ultimately requires a change in laws and regulations. And government policy and behavior. Social Enterprise NL stimulates on behalf of and with our members for radical system improvement. In concrete terms that means: 

  • Recognition with the BVm. Since 2015 we have been lobbying for an appropriate legal form for social enterprises; the addition of a modality 'm' (of social) to the BV. In this news item staat de meest recente ontwikkeling .
  • Social and sustainable procurement should become the norm. The government can create great social value at low additional cost through procurement. We therefore advocate making MVOI mandatory. Read more about this in our vision paper.  
  • Social innovation will have a place in the innovation policy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Innovation policy is now much focused on technological innovation. There should be more attention and matching funding opportunities for innovations that contribute to solving social problems. 

Incentive policies for social enterprise from national government

Social Enterprise NL promotes the new economy by strengthening and connecting social enterprises. We create a more favorable ecosystem for social entrepreneurs through lobbying for more active governments and better laws and regulations. We also stimulate the availability of capital from impact investors. And with a large network of frontrunners and system changers, we ensure that the social enterprise sector is better recognized. This is how we help you and other social entrepreneurs to have more social impact.

Social enterprises get a seat at the decision table

Social entrepreneurs are taking the lead in radical system improvement. In creative, innovative and stimulating ways, they show how things can and should be done differently. They are an inspiring example for consumers, business and governments. Yet the voice of social entrepreneurs is still not represented enough in places where important decisions about the future of the Netherlands are made. We believe that social entrepreneurs should have more seats at decision tables. To that end:

  • Support members in developing the competencies needed to lobby effectively. For example, we offer a Lobbying Masterclass and are developing course on influencing as a social entrepreneur. 
  • We encourage and support members to participate in decisions and have a say. Together with entrepreneurs, we invite MPs and ministers for working visits. 
    strengthen members in carrying out their lobbying for system improvement in specific impact areas. 
  • Strengthen members in carrying out their lobbying for system improvement in specific impact areas.

Municipalities as business partners

Municipalities and social enterprises are dream partners in tackling social problems. But cooperation is often still too rigid. We encourage municipalities to put social returns first in procurement policy, establish a single point of contact for social entrepreneurs (a broker with a mandate) and remove barriers in specific policy areas, for example, social entrepreneurs active in employment. On the latter topic, we previously wrote the white paper 'Towards a labor market that works for everyone’. 

International exchange and knowledge building

The international social enterprise movement is growing and promising. Social Enterprise NL is active in European and national networks to use the knowledge present elsewhere for a strong ecosystem in the Netherlands and vice versa. We do this, among other things, with the European Social Enterprise Monitor, we endorse the ambitions of the Social Economy Action Plan, we serve on the European expert group on social enterprise and we co-host the Social Enterprise World Forum on Oct. 11 and 12 in Amsterdam.