Department for the Economy Evaluation of the 2021-2024 Social Enterprise Work Program delivered by Social Enterprise NI.

Overview

DFE recognises that social enterprises are playing an increasingly positive role within the wider economy and to operate effectively they require ongoing support.

From April 2021 to March 2024 DFE developed a wide-ranging social enterprise work programme that had the overall aim of supporting the development and growth of social enterprises.

Social enterprise NI was selected as our delivery partner to deliver a series of objectives that supported DFE overall aims.

The work programme had eight key objectives which related to the following Areas.

• Act as a representative body to represent the collective interests of the NI social economy sector.

• Develop a more cohesive approach to delivering opportunities, training, lobbying, and working with central government, councils, education bodies, and other groups.

• Promote and raise awareness of the social economy sector.

• Inform and promote both central government and local council policies that offer opportunities to social enterprises.

• Identify policy gaps within the support provided by both the NI Executive and local councils, which are barriers to the sustainable development of the sector.

• Scope out the actual number of operational social enterprises within NI, to establish and maintain an active database of all NI social enterprises. The database should detail the contact details, location, size, capacity, and offering of each social enterprise listed so that to make procurement decisions, early contracting authorities can ascertain if there was capacity within the sector to deliver/bid.

• Promotion of good practice within and without the sector.

• Provide shared learning and mentoring support to the third sector and community groups who aspire to be a social enterprise.

Part one of the survey will gather your feedback to see if in your experience if the work programme has made a positive impact within these areas or if more work is required.

Section two of the survey is to draw upon your experience to identity persistent issues and better target future support.

Why your views matter

Your feedback will allow DFE to ensure that current and future social enterprise work programmes are meeting the needs of social enterprises.

Please respond as accurately as possible, the survey should take approximately 5 minutes of your time.

Please note the following disclaimer.

• All information will be collected anonymously with responses held in compliance with GDPR guidelines.
• Please avoid putting in personal or identifiable information.