Trading for Impact, the National Social Enterprise Policy 2024-2027, which was developed in partnership with the sector, sets out the policy for Social Enterprises. It takes on board the OECD review on 'Boosting Social Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise Development in Ireland' and the social enterprise Baseline Data Collection Exercise, both published in 2023. Trading for Impact outlines a renewed commitment to help cultivate strong and impactful social enterprises through new and existing supports.
A Stakeholder Engagement Group (SEG) has been set up to co-ordinate input into the delivery of Trading for Impact on a cross sectoral basis and the following working groups have been established following approval from the SEG:
• Social Finance Working Group - to consider issues and identify potential solutions / options in relation to social finance gaps facing social enterprises, to help financial sustainability,
• Social Procurement Working Group - to support increased social and green procurement in Ireland, collect information, develop supports, consider issues and identify potential solutions and options in relation to social and green procurement, in line with the Policy, to help grow traded income,
• Building Awareness Working Group – to increase knowledge and awareness of social enterprises, their impact, and build demand for their goods and services.
The work of the Building Awareness group will be greatly enhanced by the delivery of phase two of a pilot already underway to verify social enterprises, giving them greater visibility to the general public, businesses who wish to increase their social footprint, and public bodies, who all play a part in supporting the sector.
In April last, I launched a Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF) Sustaining Social Enterprise Scheme which supports established social enterprises to grow their traded income and become more financially self-sufficient over 23 months, in line with SEG feedback. Applications are currently at assessment stage. This funding will support projects such as the recruitment of key staff to drive income growth and sustainability and the development of a shared service resource to enabling existing staff to focus on increased income generation.
An event is currently planned for October in Dublin City Centre to bring together social enterprises with public buyers. As part of the preplanning for this event, targeted and practical supports will be delivered for both audiences to increase their knowledge and capacity to participate in procurement and purchasing arrangements. This work is supported by the Social Procurement Working Group and will help build traded income and financial sustainability for social enterprises.
Action 12 of Trading for Impact commits to deliver loan and grant funding schemes for social enterprises through new and existing programmes within my Department including the Community Services Programme (CSP), the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and LEADER.
Through SICAP, social enterprises providing services to one or more of the named SICAP target groups, may avail of grants through SICAP’s programme implementers up to a maximum of €2,500 per annum, with a view to supporting social enterprises to establish and expand, employing those who are most marginalised, and so they can provide local services where other enterprises may not be able to.
My Department's Our Rural Future policy also recognises the role of social enterprises in providing appropriate spaces and services to rural areas, and influences funding across a range of schemes within my Department’s Rural Development Investment Programme, for example LEADER and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme which can support suitable projects.
The CSP programme currently supports 453 services nationally on an ongoing basis via 434 community organisations to provide local social, economic, and environmental services through a social enterprise model with a budget of €59.4m in 2026. A recent call for new organisations to join the CSP programme closed on May 8th last. All applications received are currently going through an appraisal process, with results expected to be issued before the end of July.
Department of Social Protection supports, including through the Job Initiative, TUS, Community Employment Scheme or Rural Social Scheme posts also play an important part in supporting the sector, and this is acknowledged under the policy.
I am aware of the proposal referred to by the Deputy and will consider the matters raised in the context of the upcoming estimates process and in the development of future policy in this area.
