Publication

SMEs as Social Enterprises: Regional Disparities, Access to Finance, Strategic Intentions, and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Published: 17 May 2022

Research Paper No. 97

Associated Themes

• 
  Business Growth
• 
  COVID-19
• 
  Finance

---

This report presents new findings regarding the social orientation, geographic distribution, outreach and financing of UK social enterprises. Using data from the 2016-2020 Longitudinal Small Business Survey, the report describes the key characteristics of social enterprises and compares these to those of commercial SMEs. We observe that SMEs that are: smaller; exhibit grow ambitions; located in non-urban areas; female-led; minority ethnic-led and operating in the social/services sector are more likely to be social enterprises compared to commercial SMEs.

---

Downloads

---