Social Enterprise Advisory Group
For the past year, the Greater Manchester Social Enterprise Advisory Group has worked together with colleagues to create a series of recommendations for how the GMCA can support a thriving social enterprise sector across our region.
We believe a thriving sector is possible if we work together with GMCA and partners such as the Growth Company and local social enterprise networks to take action in the following ways:
Research and Intelligence
- Map the status of the sector using existing data
- Establish sector metrics so we can measure the progress of our sector
Create a ‘thriving social enterprise index’ to measure the economic, social and ethical value of the sector
Procurement
- Lobby public partners to report spend with social enterprises
- Explore appetite for our sector to develop consortia to bid for and deliver larger contracts together
- Research online sales platforms to ensure they include social enterprises
- Identify and promote exemplars of public sector/social enterprise partnerships
- Report on the delivery of social value clauses in publicly procured commissions
Market opportunities and investment
- Investigate innovative models of social investment and bring together more new partners for innovation
- Register interest for the Connect Fund (the Foundation for Social Investment) in participating in current Call for Ideas around Flexible Finance in Social Investment
Raising awareness
- Establish a Greater Manchester social enterprise identity and support uptake to the Social Enterprise UK online director
- Deliver a Greater Manchester ‘Buy Social’ public campaign with GMCA’s support, in line with Social Enterprise UK’s national campaign in October
- Recruit Social Enterprise Champions: public sector professionals from each borough who can champion the sector within GMCA and public sector networks
- Work with GMCA to get invited to key networks, meetings and events to promote public sector partners to ‘Buy Social’ - in collaboration with our Social Enterprise Champions - and encourage GMCA representatives to attend social enterprise meetings and events
We want your views on whether these plans will support you as a Greater Manchester social enterprise, and whether you can support our recommendations for how we can strengthen the social enterprise sector in our region.
Please share your feedback and questions by emailing socialenterprise@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk