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SEWF social enterprise news roundup – March 2026
Welcome to the SEWF social enterprise news roundup for March 2026. Each month we curate news and developments from across the social enterprise worldwide, keeping the SEWF community informed of the policies, research and investment shaping the social enterprise movement globally.
Global
GSEF elects new board and names Maricá Brazil as 2027 host city
Source: Social Economy News
At its General Assembly on 15 January 2026, GSEF elected a new board of directors for the 2026-2028 period following amendments to its statutes adopted at the Bordeaux GSEF2025 gathering. The 20-member board now includes continental co-presidencies across Africa, Asia, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe with the City of Maricá in Brazil confirmed as host of GSEF 2027. The renewed governance reflects GSEF’s expanded global representation across cities, networks and thematic bodies.
Schwab Foundation names 21 social entrepreneurs and innovators as 2026 awardees
Source: Schwab Foundation
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship has named 21 award winners across four categories at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2026 recognising social entrepreneurs, corporate social innovators, public social innovators and collective social innovation awardees from around the world. Awardees include leaders working on emergency medical services in Ethiopia, human trafficking prevention in Romania, sustainable footwear in France and microfinance and the social and solidarity economy in Senegal. This year’s cohort joins a community of over 500 social innovators whose collective work has reached close to a billion lives since the Foundation was established in 1998.
UN and ILO launch joint brief positioning social economy as path out of poverty
Source: UNTFSSE
On World Day of Social Justice, 20 February 2026, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy and the ILO-led Global Coalition for Social Justice jointly launched a policy brief on advancing the human rights economy through the social and solidarity economy. The brief explores how SSE entities including cooperatives, mutual societies, foundations and social enterprises promote decent work, equitable resource distribution, gender equity and climate resilience while prioritising social purpose over profit. It identifies practical policy levers for governments and development partners and contributes to the UN’s broader Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth.
Africa
Ethiopia formally recognises social enterprise in national entrepreneurship policy
Source: Entrepreneurship Development Institute Ethiopia
On 19 February 2026, Ethiopia’s National Entrepreneurship Policy and Strategy was approved, formally recognising social enterprise as a government-supported sector for the first time. The milestone follows eight years of advocacy by Social Enterprise Ethiopia, the country’s national membership body, working alongside the Entrepreneurship Development Institute and the Ministry of Labor and Skills. The recognition is expected to unlock tax incentives and improved access to resources for social enterprises working to address poverty, unemployment and environmental challenges across the country.
Africa’s 2.18 million social enterprises generate $96bn and support 12 million jobs
Source: Business Report
A landmark report released by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship in partnership with the World Economic Forum, the African Union Commission and others estimates that Africa is home to 2.18 million social enterprises collectively generating at least $96 billion in annual revenue and supporting 12 million jobs directly. More than 55% of the social enterprises surveyed are women-led and one in three is led by a founder under 35. The report identifies access to finance as the single biggest barrier to growth and recommends enabling ecosystems, expanded capital access and improved data collection as priorities.
Asia
ASEAN launches five-year roadmap to align social economy with development goals
Source: ASEAN SDG-SSE Roadmap
On 27 January 2026, ASEAN formally presented its Roadmap for integrating the Social and Solidarity Economy into the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The document is a five-year action plan developed through a participatory process in which SSE and SDG practitioners contributed to defining its structure and priorities. The roadmap aims to strengthen the role of the social and solidarity economy as a driver of sustainable development across Southeast Asia through to 2030.
Japan survey finds record awareness of impact investing but most consumers still unfamiliar
Source: Pioneers Post
A new survey by the Japan Social Innovation and Investment Foundation found that more than a fifth of Japanese consumers are now aware of impact investing, a record high since the annual survey began in 2019, while the country’s impact investing market reached ¥17.3 trillion (approximately US$115 billion) in 2024, a 50% increase on the previous year. The survey of over 4,000 consumers found that younger generations show the greatest interest and that more than 80% of those intending to invest would seek market-rate returns or above. The findings point to growing mainstream awareness while also underscoring that the majority of consumers globally have yet to encounter the concept.
Taiwan advances circular economy agenda with new laws, funding and AI partnerships
Source: Eco-Business
Taiwan is advancing its circular economy through new legislation, a TW$10 billion (US$318 million) green growth fund and an AI partnership with Taiwan AI School to upgrade industrial capabilities. The country’s circular economy sector is growing at roughly 9% annually and officials project the sector could expand to approximately TW$500 billion within a decade. The government is pursuing development across four areas including institutional coordination, legislation, technology deployment and financing with the goal of establishing Taiwan as a regional hub for resource-efficient industry.
Europe
Northern Ireland reports significant growth in social enterprise but lacks social value law
Source: Agenda NI
A newly published Northern Ireland government report shows the social enterprise sector has grown significantly since 2018 with the number of social enterprises rising from 843 to at least1,225 and employment increasing from 14,400 to at least 17,300 jobs while cautiously estimated combined turnover holds at just under £1 billion. The sector outperforms mainstream business on gender leadership with 44% of social enterprises led by women and 97% having women in leadership roles. Northern Ireland remains the only UK region without Social Value legislation though a Social Value Bill is being prepared for introduction.
Scotland passes legislation to embed community wealth building across local authorities
Source: Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament has passed the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill completing all three parliamentary stages on 10 February 2026 with Royal Assent still required before it becomes law. The Bill requires Ministers to publish a national community wealth building statement and guidance while obliging each local authority to produce an area action plan in collaboration with local public bodies such as health boards. Community wealth building is an approach to economic development that seeks to ensure wealth is generated, circulated and retained within local communities.
Spain commits €15 million to country’s largest social impact venture capital fund
Source: COFIDES
Spain’s state-managed Social Impact Fund has committed €15 million to the first closing of BSocial Impact Fund II, a venture capital fund managed by Ship2B Ventures that has reached €65 million and is targeting a final size of €80 million. The fund will invest in start-ups focused on improving quality of life for older people and vulnerable groups as well as industrial decarbonisation and ecosystem regeneration. Backed by the European Investment Fund, major Spanish financial institutions and family offices, the fund incorporates a first-loss tranche designed to attract additional private capital.
Spain publishes major report calling for expanded worker ownership and economic democracy
Source: Report on Democracy at Work
Spain’s Vice President Yolanda Díaz has launched a 400-page expert report on economic democracy setting out proposals to deepen worker participation and ownership in companies across Spain and the EU. Key recommendations include mandatory worker representation on company boards, expanded employee ownership schemes and new public investment tools to support worker buyouts and democratically governed enterprises. The report frames its proposals as a response to growing inequality and instability in democratic institutions.
UK sector bodies challenge £428bn impact economy report over treatment of co-operatives
Source: Co-op News / Social Enterprise UK
A New Philanthropy Capital report estimating the UK impact economy at £428 billion has prompted pushback from Co-operatives UK, Social Enterprise UK and the Employee Ownership Association who argue that democratically owned structures legally required to prioritise public benefit should be included in the impact economy by default rather than assessed case by case. Social Enterprise UK chief executive Peter Holbrook called for the Government’s new Office for the Impact Economy to include a dedicated Democratic Ownership Window contending that the current definitional approach risks favouring investor-compatible models such as B Corps over worker co-operatives and community benefit societies. NPC has acknowledged the feedback and committed to updating the report.
Latin America
Impact Fund Denmark backs early-stage Latin American impact fund
Source: fundsforNGOs News
Impact Fund Denmark has committed USD 4 million to the Acumen Latin America Early Growth Fund II (ALEG II), managed by ALIVE Ventures. The fund provides long-term capital to early-stage companies in sectors including energy, financial services and agriculture, with the aim of delivering essential products and services to low-income communities across the region. The investment is the first fund commitment from Impact Fund Denmark’s Venture Capital team.
NESsT Lirio Fund surpasses USD 20 million in disbursements across Latin America
Source: NESsT
The NESsT Lirio Fund has crossed USD 20 million in total disbursements through 37 loans, supporting enterprises in Brazil, Colombia and Peru that have collectively contributed to the preservation of over 1.5 million hectares of land and positively impacted 16,000 lives. Routledge The fund focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises in the Andes-Amazon region that create income opportunities for low-income communities while promoting sustainable land management. Backed by investors including Kiva, the Inter-American Development Bank and others, the milestone reflects growing momentum for patient capital in the region.
Oceania
Australia commits additional AU$3.9 million to extend social enterprise development programme
Source: Impact Investing Australia
The Australian Government has committed an additional AU$3.9 million to extend the Social Enterprise Development and Investment (SEDI) program. Full details of the extension are yet to be announced. Updates will be available through the Department of Social Services website.
New programme to equip support organisations to better serve autistic social entrepreneurs
Source: Community Capacity Builders
A new pre-pilot programme launching on 25 February 2026 aims to equip disability service providers, social enterprise support services and business support organisations with the knowledge to better assist autistic social entrepreneurs. The three-unit Programme for Supporting Autistic Social Entrepreneurs covers foundational autism awareness, autistic approaches to innovation and entrepreneurship and the development of collaborative local ecosystems to support autistic-led enterprises. The programme is grounded in a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming framework.
Aotearoa New Zealand Social Investment Fund opens second funding round
Source: Social Investment Agency
Aotearoa New Zealand’s Social Investment Fund has opened Round Two of its New Investment pathway from 9 February 2026 as part of a wider government effort to test and scale the social investment approach. The Fund channels outcome-based contracts to charities and not-for-profit organisations working with priority population groups including children whose parents have been in prison and children who have experienced the care system. The approach emphasises data-sharing, evidence-based evaluation and outcome-focused contracting as mechanisms for improving social service delivery.
Also read:
March 2026 funding and opportunities for social enterprises 
Social enterprise opportunities: February 2026 
Rejuvenating rural communities through social enterprise 
Policy that rises to the challenge: SEWF Policy Forum 2025 
From funding to income: How White Box Enterprises is supporting social enterprises to start and grow in Australia, while also generating revenue 