Enabling ecosystems for social enterprises and social innovation: a capability approach perspective

The aim of this contribution is to present advice on how to create an enabling ecosystem for social enterprises (SEs) and promote their social innovation capacities. These policy suggestions are based on data analysed thought the Sustainable Human Development paradigm and a Capability Approach perspective. In recent years, international organizations and governments have begun to recognize that SEs are capable of implementing innovative solutions to various social issues in an inclusive manner. The environment in which SEs are set can enable or hinder both their development and their capacity to innovate. The present policy brief focuses on the enabling ecosystem concept and draws on the findings of the EU7FP EFESEIIS project. Interviews and focus groups with 164 SE stakeholders, a survey of 850 SEs in 11 EU countries, and behavioural experiments with SE decision-makers are used in this study. The final result is a set of policy suggestions that can help create an ecosystem that enables SEs and fosters their social innovation capacities. The key message of this policy brief is that it is crucial to adopt an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach to policy making in order to encourage the development of enabling ecosystems for SEs.