Euclid Network – the European Social Enterprise Network welcomes SEWF23 to Europe!

When we heard that the Social Enterprise World Forum 2023 (SEWF23) was coming to the Netherlands, we could not have been more excited. The Social Enterprise World Forum is a dear partner to us; and one of the Co-hosts, Social Enterprise NL, a respected member of our network. We knew this would become a key event for the sector in Europe and for our members and partners. Although we are based in The Hague, as a European network we have 49 member organisations based in 29 European countries, working across 60+ countries. Alongside Social Enterprise World Forum and Co-hosts Amsterdam Impact and Social Enterprise NL, we are looking forward to welcoming social enterprises, ecosystem actors, our members and partners from across the world to Europe and the Netherlands.  

So, who are we and what does Euclid Network do?  

Euclid Network (EN) is the European Social Enterprise Network and for the last 15 years, EN has worked to catalyse positive change by connecting, enhancing and celebrating social entrepreneurs, social innovators and their support organisations who help them pave the way for a socially inclusive and green economy and society. We are mainstreaming social entrepreneurship across Europe and the world. 

We have a strong meaningful membership community as well as partners who collectively are the frontrunners in building and shaping the European and local ecosystems for social entrepreneurs. Our community of members and partners supports and represents the social enterprise and social innovation sector across Europe and neighbouring countries.  

To be able to support our members and those in Social Enterprise we proactively create connections, networks and large-scale partnerships, exchange learnings and best practices, create and share knowledge and offer advice and support.  

European Social Enterprise Monitor 

One of the flagship projects that Euclid Network leads and coordinates, in cooperation with over 50 partners, is the European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM), the largest European data collection effort in the social enterprise sector.  

Launched in 2020, the aim of the European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM) is to close the gap on social enterprise data to inform decision-makers in government, civil society and the economy. ESEM essentially takes the pulse of the social enterprise sector by investigating the characteristics, impact, needs and challenges of social enterprises. EN is proud to launch at SEWF23 the next ‘in-take’ of ESEM participants to create the 2023-2024 edition of the Monitor, which will run across 31 European countries.  

If you are a Social Enterprise and want to be part of changing policy, influencing the development of targeted new funding instruments and support initiatives for social enterprise and helping the transition towards a new economy, please click here to find out more. Through your participation in the ESEM, we will seek to amplify your voice among decision-makers to drive the sector forwards and create a more conducive European ecosystem for social enterprise.  

Buy Social Europe B2B 

One of the other new initiatives we are pleased to be launching at SEWF is the Buy Social Europe B2B initiative. Buy Social Europe empowers mainstream businesses and social enterprises to find each other and forge sustainable trade partnerships. Together with 23 partners across Europe, we plan to gather best practices, learn, share, create evidence and build capacity for trade relationships that will accelerate social impact and innovations across 17 markets in Europe and beyond. 

If you are a mainstream business or a social enterprise who is interested in connecting with each other, please email team@euclidnetwork.eu to find out more and to see how you too can join the movement. By joining the Buy Social Europe B2B movement and becoming part of the network you can help transition procurement to social enterprises driving positive impact and value for People and the Planet. 

Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise 

Another key achievement is our annual Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise initiative, which we launched three years ago in the spirit of empowering women leaders in Europe’s social enterprise sector and accelerating progress towards a more gender-equal world. Through this initiative EN celebrates women in the social enterprise sector, spotlighting their impact journeys and achievements and connecting them to learn from and inspire each other. By celebrating the Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise every year, EN also aims to showcase the barriers women in social enterprise are still encountering, i.e. regarding access to finance and investment, by sharing their stories and experiences with the wider social enterprise community. With this initiative, EN spotlights women, in all their diversity, as role models in the social enterprise sector.    

Regita Zeiļa from the Social Entrepreneurship Association of Latvia (Latvijas Sociālās uzņēmējdarbības asociācija) said “There is a great importance of support networks for social enterprises and women supporting one another, to pave the way towards a more gender equal world where social entrepreneurship is on top of the agenda”. 

Please keep an eye on the Euclid Network website for further updates. 

We continue to support our members and partners as well as the wider ecosystem in many other ways and through many other projects, such as by being part of consortia, partnerships and coalitions including: the Google.org Social Innovation Fund,  European Social Innovation Campus (ESIC) and Open Business for Community Development (OBCD). We also create many Toolkits, crowdsourcing collective intelligence and expertise from across our membership and partnerships including; the European Funding Toolkit, the Internationalisation Toolkit and the EU3 Digital Toolkit. We also make time to regularly meet and talk to the EU Commission to learn about new funding calls so that EN can provide support and guidance to members on applying for EU funding. Where possible, we also give back and provide evidence to inform on policy and help with projects such as the European Commission Social Economy Gateway. 

We also feature a variety of interesting guests on The Social Economist Podcast and host the bi-annual EN Summit, covering a range of interesting discussion points from sustainable procurement to capacity-building Masterclasses.   

But we can do more! Get in touch if you are a Social Enterprise Support Organisation based in Europe and are interested in becoming a Euclid Network member, a funder, investor or a business interested in working with us and our network. Email us at team@euclidnetwork.eu. We would love to hear from you.  For more updates, you can also find us on Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram and or YouTube.  

So, what are you waiting for – get involved and become part of our welcoming and passionate community of changemakers, supporting social entrepreneurs to make a difference!  

Ecosystems: Increasing opportunities for trade, collaboration and collective action is one of the themes at the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF23) 11-12 October. Join Euclid Network and over 1000 other purpose-driven individuals as we form new collaborations and share ideas on several ways to improve education and encourage youth entrepreneurship across the world. Get your ticket today.