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In the Office of the Third Sector we have 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.
Formerly part of the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) Small Business Service (SBS), the Social Enterprise Unit launched on 9 October 2001 by the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt. Following the Cabinet reshuffle in May 2006 the unit moved to the Office of the Third Sector.
Social enterprises are businesses with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners.
Social enterprises tackle a wide range of social and environmental issues and operate in all parts of the economy. By using business solutions to achieve public good, government believes that social enterprises have a distinct and valuable role to play in helping create a strong, sustainable and socially inclusive economy.
Successful social enterprises can play an important role in helping deliver on many of government's key policy objectives by: