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Social enterprise research

The Office of the Third Sector has responsibility for policy making affecting social enterprise. We also help promote and champion social enterprise, take action needed to address barriers to the growth of social enterprises and identify and spread good practice for the sector.

Research into the social enterprise sector forms an important part of this work.

In this section:

• Social enterprise research background
  Find out more about government led and sponsored research into the social enterprise sector.
• Creating a culture of social enterprise
  Work commissioned by the OTS and conducted by the Central Office of Information (COI) into current levels of understanding and awareness of social enterprise, and how to attract new people to the movement
• Social enterprise research tools 
  Some useful research tools to consider when undertaking research into social enterprise.
• Social enterprise think pieces 2007 
  Think pieces commissioned to explore social enterprise and its relationship with innovation, ethical markets, and employment practice.
• Business support for social enterprise 
  Research on business support services for social enterprises.
• Access to finance for social enterprises 
  Research on the ability of social enterprises to access commerical finance.
• Feasibility studies on social enterprise 
  Feasibility studies assessing the effect of social enterprise on the rest of society.