Our Partners

Find out more about the organisations we work with

British Council

British Council

We have worked with the British Council to help influence the international destiny of social enterprise, using our experience of setting up the first internationally available social enterprise accreditation.

In March 2016 we were invited to China to advise on the development of a Chinese social enterprise accreditation system.


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Companies Creating Change (C3)

We are excited to be working in partnership with UAE-based social enterprise Companies Creating Change (C3), who will act as our official representative to expand social enterprise accreditation in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) region. C3 will use their local knowledge to conduct outreach programmes for potential applicants and provide support to organisations that wish to meet the requirements of the Social Enterprise Mark accreditation.


CIC Regulator

We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Regulator of Community Interest Companies (CICs), symbolising an ongoing commitment to co-operation & collaboration. The agreement enables both parties to exchange information and provide feedback on relevant issues relating to CICs, in order to represent their interests.


I just want to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to Social Enterprise Mark CIC for their collaborative work with UnLtd. From working together on campaigns, to actively engaging in our events, I think we help to demonstrate the sort of impactful, collaborative behaviour we like to see in social entrepreneurs.”


CSR Accreditation

We are proud to work in partnership with CSR Accreditation, which delivers a global standard for corporate social responsibility.

It is now more important than ever for businesses to show they are doing everything they can to improve the world for future generations, by reducing the negative impact they have on the environment and by building a better and cohesive society.

We are working with CSR Accreditation to promote the value of accreditation in raising standards in responsible and ethical business.


Social UP partners

Erasmus+ Social UP project

We were involved in an EU-funded project under the Erasmus+ programme in 2016-18, working in partnership with design thinking experts, social entrepreneurs, and business advisers from across Europe (UK, Greece, Finland, Spain and Cyprus).

The Social UP project aimed to improve the sustainability, social impact and scalability of social enterprises, to enable them to achieve their societal mission in a financially viable manner.


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Ethical Angel

At the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020, we partnered with employee engagement engine Ethical Angel to ensure more social enterprises are aware of the free, virtual support available to them during this challenging time and beyond.

Ethical Angel virtually matches the skills and resources of the private sector with the operational needs of social enterprises, meaning that, without cost, social enterprises can very quickly and easily get what they need, when they need it.


Pauline Gannon

“Every single dealing with Social Enterprise Mark CIC has been of a high professional standard and with an ease that is a joy. In my opinion, the organisation is in practice the high standards it works to instil in the social enterprise sector, a true representation in practice of what you preach.”


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HEFCE

In 2016/17, we worked in collaboration with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)* on a project to raise awareness of how Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can operate as social enterprises, putting sustainable and ethical business practices at the heart of their strategic direction.

We created a short film to highlight the benefits of the Social Enterprise Mark and Social Enterprise Gold Mark to HEIs.

*HEFCE is now The Office for Students (OFS)


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Key Fund

We are proud to work in partnership with social investment organisation Key Fund, to boost awareness and understanding of the social enterprises; businesses that put people and planet first to help create a more people-focused economy.

Key Fund invests in community and social enterprises who have traditionally been excluded from mainstream finance, particularly those in disadvantaged areas. They believe in the power of people to find solutions to the challenges facing their communities.


#SaveOurSocEnts campaign partners

New Economy Alliance

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, we developed an alliance with other social sector network bodies, to lobby the Government for vital support to keep the sector alive throughout (and after) the crisis. We wrote a letter to the Chancellor to outline a four-point action plan to ensure the long-term sustainability of the UK’s 100,000 social enterprises, co-operatives and community businesses.


“I love that Social Enterprise Mark CIC engages with smaller organisations and works in partnership with us. It helps us broaden our knowledge and gives more opportunities to our members. Hopefully we complement them in some way as well.”


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Plymouth Marjon University

In 2018, Plymouth Marjon University established the Marjon Business School (MBS).

Our Managing Director Lucy Findlay is a member of the MBS Advisory Board, which is made up of representatives from leading business organisations operating within the South-West of England, who offer specialist skills, knowledge and experience.


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RSA

We have developed a partnership with the RSA to foster collaboration between our two networks and bring about a future in which everyone is able to participate.

For 260 years, the RSA has been at the forefront of social change. Today, it is a community of over 30,000 proactive problem-solvers from around the world uniting people and ideas to resolve the challenges of our time.

Social enterprises accredited by Social Enterprise Mark CIC are eligible for fast track membership to become RSA Fellows.


Social Audit Network

Social Audit Network

We are proud to work in partnership with Social Audit Network, to promote the importance of  social accounting and audit to the social enterprise and voluntary sectors, as a tool for reporting on social, environmental and economic performance.

Social Audit Network  holds regular meetings, training and events across the UK to facilitate the exchange of information and experience between social accounting and audit practitioners.


SEYH

We are proud to work in partnership with SEYH (Social Enterprise Yorkshire and the Humber), to further awareness and understanding of the social enterprise business model and to identify opportunities for growth.

SEYH represents, promotes and connects social enterprise across the Yorkshire & Humber region. All members of SEYH are either social enterprises themselves, or associates with a keen interest in the sector.


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Social Entrepreneur Index

We are proud to support the UK Social Entrepreneur Index, which celebrates entrepreneurs running businesses with social purposes. As well as supporting the promotion of the Index, Lucy Findlay acts an Ambassador.

We feel this is important because, as well as providing recognition, it also acts as a benchmark for good practice to inspire the next generation, with those on the index acting as beacons of inspiration for others to encompass positive social impact.


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Social Impact Ireland

We are excited to be working in partnership with Social Impact Ireland to introduce social enterprise accreditation in the Republic of Ireland.

We will be working in collaboration to enhance and grow the Irish social enterprise sector through the introduction of the Social Enterprise Mark accreditation standard.

Social Impact Ireland aims to separate and elevate social enterprise, by fully supporting individuals and enterprises to reach their full potential, impacting communities across all regions.


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Social Value UK

We are proud to work in partnership with Social Value UK, to promote the importance of social accounting and accreditation as tools for reporting on social, environmental and economic performance. This alliance aims to raise the profile and quality of social value, which is at the core of both organisations.

Social Value UK is the national network for social impact and social value. They work with their members to embed core principles for social value measurement and analysis, to refine and share practice, and to build a powerful movement of like-minded people to influence policy.


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Society Profits

In July 2019, we announced our first international licensing agreement, which grants Society Profits an exclusive licence to award the Social Enterprise Mark in the USA.

The definition of social enterprise is fairly loose in the USA compared to the UK, which is why Society Profits was keen to introduce the Social Enterprise Mark as a recognised standard of social enterprise good practice.

The licensing agreement enables social enterprises in the USA to gain international recognition that they are operating as a genuine social enterprise, with a core motivation of creating social impact.


Supported Business Steering Group

Supported Business Steering Group

We are currently working with DWP and the Supported Business Steering Group to develop a new framework to enable supported businesses to prove their credentials when bidding for DWP programmes.

The Social Enterprise Disability Employment Mark (SEDEM) will build on the principles of Disability Confident, to provide assurance to DWP on the quality of employment outcomes for disabled people.


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UKSSD

We are excited to be a partner of the UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD), which brings organisations together to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals in the UK.

We feel that the SDGs provide a powerful global framework to address the pressing social and environmental issues that we all face, and we are looking into aligning how Mark Holders report on their social impact with the SDG’s. This partnership will provide valuable support to achieve this.


In Good Company

We are proud to work in partnership with In Good Company, which is a female-led, tech-for-good startup on a mission to drive growth for small, ethical and sustainable ‘good’ bricks and mortar businesses in the hospitality, retail and entertainment sectors.

They do this via their data-driven search and match platform – ingood.app – which connects people with the perfect feel-good, guilt-free ethical businesses and experiences, and businesses with people that want to make more of their money.

From cafes and restaurants, to shops and markets, the In Good Company platform provides curated listings that are verified by experts, and reviewed by consumers who want to use their spending power for good.

Urgent Health UK

We have an ongoing relationship with Urgent Health UK (UHUK) to develop social value within the healthcare sector and to encourage policy makers and commissioners to place a greater focus on social value in the design of health and social care services.

We ran a session at the 2017 UHUK conference, looking at how healthcare providers can demonstrate their social value.