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Social Economy

Empowering purpose-driven businesses across Greater Lincolnshire

The social economy plays a vital role in strengthening our communities and building a more inclusive, sustainable local economy. Whether you’re running a community interest company (CIC), social enterprise, charity or co-operative, Business Lincolnshire is here to support your success.

We understand that social enterprises face unique opportunities and challenges – from funding and governance to measuring impact. That’s why we offer dedicated support, guidance and practical tools tailored to the needs of values-led organisations.

Whether you're just starting out or ready to scale your impact, we can help you develop your business model, access funding and strengthen your sustainability.

Growing in size and importance in the County, the Social Economy accounts for an estimated 10% of businesses and 6% of employment. The sector is well placed to respond to the economic and organisational change anticipated in Greater Lincolnshire: achieving carbon neutrality; implementing sustainable development measures; responding to changes in consumer behaviour away from goods and towards experiences and a growth in the sharing economy; re-localising supply chains and destination markets; the emphasis on social innovation, and the growth in cross-sector partnerships.

The Social Economy sector is growing to fill the gap created by cuts in local authority budgets – and is growing most quickly in rural and disadvantaged areas. The key points for Greater Lincolnshire are that the value of the Social Economy to the county is larger than its Gross Value Added (GVA) to the County’s economy when its non-monetary benefits are taken into account. Social Return on Investment (SROI) is an increasingly accepted way of measuring these benefits, and there are a range of practitioners in the County with expertise in undertaking these kinds of evaluations. The Public Services (Social Value) Act came into force in 2013 and requires people who commission public services to think about how they can also secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits for their area or stakeholders, and as such get more value for money out of their procurement processes.

Social Economy FAQs

The social economy includes organisations that prioritise social impact over profit. This can include social enterprises, community interest companies (CICs), charities and cooperatives.

We support a wide range of socially driven organisations across Greater Lincolnshire – whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale your impact.

Support includes guidance on legal structures, funding opportunities, governance, marketing and business development – all tailored to the unique needs of mission-led organisations.

Yes – we can connect you with funding opportunities specific to social businesses, as well as help you navigate application processes and develop your business case.

Absolutely. Whether you’re launching a new social enterprise or formalising an existing community initiative, we offer advice and resources to help you get started.