Social Enterprise Monitor 2024

Social enterprises are growing solidly! The Social Enterprise Monitor 2024 and social enterprises prove once again that social and economic impact go hand in hand. However, it is also clear that support from politicians is still missing. Want to know more? Then read on.

Some key insights from the study:

Growth potential and employment 
Social enterprises are booming. 91.9% of enterprises have passed the start-up phase and have proven themselves as mature businesses with an average turnover of €2.2 million, 67% of entrepreneurs saw an increase in turnover over the past 12 months. The average workforce is 18 FTE. For the next 12 months, the majority expect further growth in sales and staff. 

Impact in the Netherlands 
Nearly 90% of social enterprises create impact in the Netherlands, half of them at the national level and a third locally at the neighborhood or community level. These enterprises contribute to multiple societal challenges simultaneously and they also indirectly influence other companies, governments and consumers to act more sustainably and socially. 

Stefan Panhuijsen, director, Social Enterprise NL: “This Monitor shows that social enterprises are serious businesses that are growing fast and making a major contribution to the social challenges in the Netherlands. Time for the government to take them seriously.” 

Government: ally or obstacle? 
Although social enterprises provide solutions with minimal public resources, they experience little political support. More than half rate it as “poor. Among other things, entrepreneurs advocate for more procurement by governments and want to be at the decision-making table more often. With an annual procurement volume of 100 billion euros, governments together have a huge potential flywheel for sustainable and social production. In addition, there is a great need (64%) for a specific legal form for social enterprises. The “social limited liability company” can meet this need. Entrepreneurs have been waiting for years to fulfill the National Government's promise to introduce the social BV.   

Learn more about the results and how we can increase social impact together! View the here.

Over de Social Enterprise Monitor 
The Social Enterprise Monitor, part of the European Social Enterprise Monitor, is the largest biennial survey on the development of social enterprises in the Netherlands and Europe respectively. This year, 148 Dutch social entrepreneurs completed the survey. The European survey will be published in the spring of 2025. 31 member states participate in this research, the insights are an important source for the European Commission's policy on the social and sustainable economy. 

The research was co-funded by the European Union.