Deadline: 2-Jul-21
Nominations are now open for the UK Social Enterprise Awards to celebrate the incredible contributions made by social enterprises, recognizing those organizations which have been making a real difference in tackling social and environmental problems both in the UK and around the world.
They recognise that trading conditions have been disrupted for a lot of social enterprises, and this year they are looking to celebrate the resilience, the values and the entrepreneurial spirit of the sector as much as those who have pivoted, grown and thrived in these most unusual and challenging conditions.
There are two new categories this year, one which has been made to recognise the Social Enterprise Team of the Year and the other being the Social Enterprise Building Diversity, Inclusion, Equity & Justice Award.
This recognises the fundamental importance of social justice to the social enterprise movement and is for social enterprises which are directly addressing issues around diversity, inclusion, equity and justice.
Award Categories
- Category 1: UK Social Enterprise of the Year
- This award is open to a social enterprise that has been operating for more than 2 years that can evidence the criteria below but that has also demonstrated and promoted social enterprise beyond the sector.
- Category 2: One to Watch
- This award is open to a social enterprise that has been operating for less than 2 years as of April 2021 that can clearly demonstrate the criteria but also articulate their future vision and how they are going to achieve it showing growth in their model.
- Category 3: Prove It: Social Impact
- This award is designed for any social enterprise that can truly demonstrate and communicate their impact with their stakeholders. This award is not comparing the scale of different enterprises’ impact, but their measurement and reporting process.
- Category 4: ‘Buy Social’ – Market Builder
- This award is open to any social enterprise, public sector body or private sector organisations that has demonstrably made efforts within its own organisation and remit to create more opportunities to buy from social enterprises. This could be a local authority implementing a council-wide Social Value Act strategy, a company changing its procurement processes, or a social enterprise seeking to support the movement through buying social.
- Category 5: Social Investment Deal of the Year
- This is the award to enter if you have been part of a great investment deal in the last 12 months that has helped a social enterprise to grow, or the movement as a whole to develop and flourish. Both the investee and investor will be recognised.
- Category 6: Health & Social Care Social Enterprise
- This is open to social enterprises that have been operating for more than 2 years in the health and social care sectors that can demonstrate excellence
- Category 7: Consumer Facing Social Enterprise
- This is open to a social enterprise that produces or delivers a retail product or service to the general public.
- Category 8: Education, Training & Jobs Social Enterprise
- This is open to social enterprises that have been operating for more than 2 years in the education, training or employment sectors that can demonstrate excellence.
- Category 9: Environmental Social Enterprise
- This is open to social enterprises that have been operating for more than 2 years in the green and environmental sectors that can demonstrate excellence.
- Category 10: Social Enterprise Building Diversity, Inclusion, Equity & Justice
- Social justice is fundamental to the social enterprise movement. Over the last year, events like the Black Lives Matter movement brought renewed energy into the discourse around diversity, inclusion, equity and justice. This category is open to all social enterprises who are addressing these issues.
- Category 11: Women in Social Enterprise
- This award recognises a woman working in the senior leadership team of a social enterprise.
- Category 12: International Impact
- This is open to social enterprises that have been operating for more than 2 years which are working internationally and having a big impact in their field. This award is open to UK-based organisations only with existing international operations.
- Category 13: Transformative Community Business
- This is open to social enterprises that have been operating for more than 2 years and are:
- locally rooted
- trading for the benefit of the local community
- accountable to the local community
- making community impact
- This is open to social enterprises that have been operating for more than 2 years and are:
- Category 14: Social Enterprise Team of the Year
- This category acknowledges those teams which, over the course of an extremely challenging year, have demonstrated the strength, passion and resilience which is so characteristic of the social enterprise sector. Organisations should be able to evidence how these employees, working together, have gone above and beyond their role, leading to enhanced quality of products or services, greater social impact and/ or overall business growth.
- Category 15: Tech for Good: Technology Social Enterprise
- This is open to social enterprises that have been operating for more than 2 years that uses technology.
Eligibility Criteria
- All Award categories are open to organisations from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
- If you wish to make an Award application for any category other than;
- Category 4 ‘Buy Social’ – Market Builder
- Category 5 Social Investment Deal of the Year
- Category 11 Women in Social Enterprise
- your organisation must be a UK based business that defines itself as a Social Enterprise using the
- following criteria:
- The business has a clear social or environmental mission that is set out in its governing documents.
- It is an independent business and earns more than half of its income through trading.
- It is controlled or owned in the interests of the social mission.
- It invests or gives away at least half your profits or surpluses towards your social purpose.
- It is transparent about how it operates and the impact it has.
- Please do not enter any category other than 4, 5 and 11 if you do not meet the above criteria.
- Non-social enterprises, for example, investors, corporates, public sector bodies and charities may put
- applications forward in the following categories:
- Category 4 ‘Buy Social’ – Market Builder
- Category 5 Social Investment Deal of the Year
- Category 11 Women in Social Enterprise (further information below)
- Social Enterprises may also enter category 4 & 5. Category 11 must be entered by a woman in the sector, or someone nominating this individual.
Judging Criteria
- For All Award applications you will need to:
- Tell them about the organisation and its business activities
- Give a brief overview of the organisation
- being nominated and outline its business activity, namely how it earns income and explaining its business model.
- Social or environmental purpose and impact
- Summarise the social or environmental purpose of the organisation and provide an assessment of the difference made through this organisations work.
- Give a brief overview of the organisation
- Tell them about the organisation and its business activities
For more information, visit https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/social-enterprise-awards/uk-social-enterprise-awards-2021/