News and Views

  • ‘Clear signs of strain’ as UK social enterprises cushion economic blow 

    Social enterprises “significantly more resilient” on some measures than commercial businesses – with staff more likely to be retained and hired – but threats of unsustainable margins and reduced cashflow loom.

  • Mushrooms and ‘mamapreneurs’: how data makes a difference

    How do you build climate resilience of Vietnam's rice farmers? How do you boost the life chances of toddlers in Kenya? It’s complicated – but a solid impact management system is a good start, as the experience of two social enterprises shows.

  • Staying afloat: five social enterprises helping Britons through the cost of living crisis

    Affordable credit, access to unclaimed benefits, emergency plumbing and more: how UK social enterprises are helping to alleviate the economic squeeze for the most vulnerable.

  • Community interest company closures up 72% in latest financial year

    New figures from UK's CIC Regulator also show overall number of community interest companies grew at record slow pace in 2021-2022 financial year, following unusual spike during Covid-19 lockdowns.

  • Social impact bonds: what have we learned from a 10-year experiment?

    Too complex and prone to manipulation? Or a brilliant way to tackle thorny social issues? Opinions on social impact bonds remain divided. The UK's Government Outcomes Lab has spent six years studying the evidence...

  • Change or die – financial accounting faces two options

    The financial accounting system we use today is hurtling towards irrelevance, undermined by the very inequality to which it has contributed. It's time to change how profit is calculated – before it's too late.