One in seven existing community interest companies was founded since March 2020. But their financial sustainability remains unclear, as does the true extent of pandemic-forced permanent closures – and some fear the worst is yet to come.
Impact investors call on government to support the social sector, while cooperatives adapt to meet new demands and hope they can renegotiate – instead of losing – public sector contracts.
Around the world, governments are mobilising and citizens are experiencing major upheavals, as new measures kick in to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. What if we treated the – equally devastating – economic and climate crisis with similar urgency?
PLUS: US philanthropy heavyweights back new ‘Tipping Point Fund’; new blended finance agribusiness fund makes first investment, UK universities set up responsible investment network, and more.
Starting a business based on your own passions can be highly personal – making every criticism feel like a punch in the stomach. The co-founder of Dot Project shares a warts-and-all account of the company's first two 'rollercoaster' years.
Divine chocolate are one of the UK’s flagship social enterprises – but while we often hear from its HQ in London, it is less often we get to hear from the cocoa frontline in Ghana. Lee Mannion meets farmer Esther Mintah Ephraim.
From Giorgio Armani and Roberto Cavalli to Dolce & Gabbana and Fendi, Italy is a global leader in the fashion industry. We meet the cooperative making a social impact in style.
With policy changes in motion, a supportive government and a strong social sector on which to build, 2015 marks a milestone for Italy's social enterprise and impact investing landscape.
