Much potential for Asia, Europe collaboration, dialogue revealsSingaporeSOCIAL enterprises are alive and thriving and policymakers are increasingly recognising the opportunity to build a new economy - one that creates not just economic, but also inclusive and sustainable growth.儲存倉 Yet, strong and specific policy support for a better business environment for social enterprises (SEs) has been slow in taking shape, although attempts have been made with varying degrees of success in Europe and Asia.Historically, Europe and in particular the United Kingdom have been at the forefront of the social enterprise movement. But policy influencers and social entrepreneurs point out that Asian states could do better with stronger policy support.A recent dialogue held in Berlin among European and Asian policy influencers and social entrepreneurs found that there was still scope for greater collaboration between Asia and Europe to better communicate and reinforce the impact of social enterprises. And, such dialogues can give Asian policymakers more support to widen the scope and reach of the SE sector in the economy."In Asia, countries such as Thailand and South Korea have progressive policy support for their social enterprises. However, in a large part of the region, there is still a lack of capacity and funds to assist SEs to be fully financially sustainable. There is still a significant gap in policy support that can help these SEs scale up," said Karsten Warnecke, the Singapore-based deputy executive director of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). "I believe these are areas where both regional and inter-regional bodies, such as ASEF, can play a role in increasing awareness and in facilitating networking and cooperation," he told BT. "We have started addressing these by creating platforms to share expertise and experiences within and across both regions. Such exchange of ideas and best-practices can help practitioners and policymakers create environments conducive for social businesses."ASEF and the British Council are two organisations working towards strengthening policy support for social enterprises and promoting the implementation of such support in countries with no existing policy frameworks. They feel the time is ripe for consolidating existing policies and analysing their outcomes, to strengthen support for social enterprises, especially from governments.It is with this backdrop that ASEF and the British Council assembled senior policy influencers from 24 countries in Berlin for a policy dialogue and exchange of experiences. They were responding to a need for increased opportunities for sharing experiences between Asian and European social entrepreneurs and to develop the support structures.The notion of social enterprise achieving maximum social good and not maximisation of shareholder profit, while remaining a sustainable venture is gaining more acceptability at a time when the rough edges of extreme capitalism are beginning to grind on the social conscience. A renewed attention on social enterprise is now being followed up with more specific policy support to existing government initiatives in areas of taxation, public procurement, financial market rules and regulations and other entrepreneurship supporting schemes."There's a growing interest in social enterprise - it's the sector where entrepreneurs are choosing to set up businesses. This fact speaks volumes about people's motivations and a desire for change in the way that businesses behave and their contribution to society," says Peter Holbrook, chief executive 迷你倉最平f Social Enterprise UK (SEUK), the national body championing social enterprise in the United Kingdom. The social enterprise approach is increasingly seen as a way in which innovative solutions can be found for unmet needs, and a market is "created" or "stimulated" to address these.But the lack of specific structures was a recurring theme in the Berlin discussions. Muhammad Rumee Ali, the head of Bangladesh's biggest and most successful social enterprise, BRAC, feels that at the policymaker level, there has to be a clear and a 'shared' understanding of the definition of a social enterprise, if an effective policy response is to be formulated. Equally important is the need to define the basic architecture of an SE, he told BT following the Berlin meeting.British entrepreneurial leader in social enterprise Penny Newman does not see social enterprise just as business with a conscience. "It is about actively delivering change, often tackling entrenched social and environmental challenges, where others, be it government or businesses, have either feared to tread or have failed." Ms Newman has worked for the past 20 years in organisations that help relieve social injustice in a way that builds an organisation sustainably, including a stint as CEO at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen, the celebrity chef's chain of restaurants where disengaged young people are trained for long-term careers in the restaurant industry.But whatever the definition or structure, all agree that policy or governmental support is crucial. SEUK's Mr Holbrook contends that social enterprise movements need to influence governments and policymakers at the highest level, "to make sure social enterprise is at the top of the business and political agendas". Mr Holbrook, who led the main dialogue session in Berlin, also noted that SEs needed to work with government partners and mainstream businesses to strengthen their work.A UK survey on the state of social enterprise found that the sector is thriving and attracting a wave of entrepreneurs and outperforming mainstream bodies. The poll also revealed that SEs scored in its innovativeness - 56 per cent of social enterprises (in UK) developed a new product or service in the last 12 months compared to 43 per cent of SMEs. New product or service development is often used as a proxy-indicator of business innovation.While there is acceptance that evidenced social impact will be a primary criterion for funding and governmental support, rather than explicitly favouring SEs, there need be a more balanced approach. Policies could be framed to give some consideration to the social and environmental value of SEs. For instance, UK has a Social Value Act that benefits SEs.The Berlin Dialogue produced some pointers for a better policy context for SEs in Asia and Europe to develop further. There was also a call for a legal form of the social enterprise eco-system and for more regulatory and tax breaks. There is a need for SEs to be more transparent if governments are to play a bigger role in providing a supportive framework for them, such as providing tax relief and start-up capital, the dialogue participants noted.Mr Warnecke said that the Berlin Dialogue produced worthwhile findings for developing a better policy context for SEs in Asia and Europe. "It was an opportunity to understand the concept as well as role of social enterprises from both Asian and European perspectives," he said, adding that the sector can do exceptionally well in Asia, as policymakers look seriously into developing it into an essential part of the economy.迷你倉
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