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Social enterprise news roundup – May 2026

by Kasia Kotlarska / May 2026

Welcome to the monthly SEWF social enterprise news roundup. Each month we round up the latest policies, research and investment shaping the social enterprise movement globally. This May 2026 edition features social innovation awards, impact investment growth and ecosystem developments across Asia, Europe, Latin America and Oceania.

GLOBAL

Skoll Foundation announces winners of the 2026 Skoll Award for Social Innovation

Source: Skoll Foundation

The Skoll Foundation has named three recipients of its 2026 Skoll Award for Social Innovation: ChildLife Foundation, which strengthens emergency paediatric care in Pakistan; SmartStart, which expands community-based early childhood education in South Africa; and Indus Action, which uses technology and capacity-building to connect vulnerable citizens in India with social protection entitlements. Each organisation receives USD 2 million in unrestricted funding in recognition of its systems-level impact on entrenched global challenges. The awards will be formally presented at the Skoll World Forum in Oxford on 23 April 2026.

Japan’s impact investment assets under management reach 17.3 trillion yen

Source: SIIF

Japan’s total impact investment assets under management reached 17.3 trillion yen as of March 2024, a year-on-year increase of around 150%, according to a new report published by GSG Impact JAPAN National Partner. The growth was driven primarily by the expansion of existing impact investors rather than new market entrants, with major banks and life insurance companies accounting for 94% of the increase. The report, produced with SIIF as secretariat, also examines international market trends and identifies priorities for the continued development of Japan’s impact investment sector.

Philippine social ventures win inaugural KisLap Social Enterprise Grant

Source: Ateneo Center for Social Entrepreneurship

The Ateneo Center for Social Entrepreneurship in the Philippines has announced the inaugural winners of its KisLap Social Enterprise Grant, following a live pitch competition held in Manila on 25 April. Three ventures – AgriConnect, an AI-powered agricultural risk platform; Sibol Creamery, a sustainable food enterprise supporting farming communities; and Klaro, a service-access solution for underserved communities, competing for a share of up to PHP 1,000,000 in total startup funding in startup funding. The grant programme is supported by the Kwan Laurel Social Enterprise Fund.

Pakistan launches national social enterprise network at women-led innovation summit

Source: Daily Times

A national summit focused on building a women-led social enterprise ecosystem in Pakistan concluded in late April, with over 300 participants drawn from government, business, investment and civil society. The event, organised by the Social Innovation Academy in partnership with the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, resulted in the launch of SENPak — a digital platform intended to connect social entrepreneurs and investors across the country. The summit also featured a Women’s Innovation Marketplace and working sessions aimed at producing actionable plans around financial inclusion, digital access and policy reform.

EU Commission mid-term review finds progress on Social Economy Action Plan

Source: European Commission

The European Commission’s mid-term review of its Social Economy Action Plan, published 30 March 2026, found that 21 Member States have adopted or are developing social economy strategies and 12 have reformed relevant legislation since 2021. Over €1.62 billion in EU funding and €1.2 billion in InvestEU guarantees have been allocated for the 2021–2027 period. Most of the plan’s 63 actions are completed or under way. Looking ahead, the report identifies clearer state aid rules, stronger frameworks for private social investment, better data collection, and improved regional policy support as priorities, across a sector encompassing 4.3 million organisations and 11.5 million jobs.

Prof. Mazzucato and Minister Cuerpo launch Global Council on New Economics for the 21st Century

Source: UCL Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment

Professor Mariana Mazzucato and Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Cuerpo launched the Global Council on New Economics for the 21st Century in Barcelona on 18 April 2026. The Council will bring together leading economists to examine the core assumptions underpinning mainstream economic theory and to develop updated principles with practical implications for policy, institutions and multilateral reform. Organised around four guiding principles – justice, equality, sustainability and global solidarity – the Council will hold its first meeting in summer 2026, with final recommendations due by autumn 2027.

NatWest SE100 Impact Pioneers: Finalists revealed for 2026

Source: Pioneers Post

More than 40 organisations and their leaders have been named as finalists in the 2026 NatWest SE100 Impact Pioneer Awards, created by Pioneers Post and delivered in partnership with NatWest’s Social & Community Capital. This year’s shortlist spans sectors including food redistribution, trauma-informed training, race equity in hospitality and accessible travel for visually impaired people. Winners will be announced at an awards event in Manchester on 13 May 2026.

Trading for impact: Minister Buttimer announces €4m ‘Sustaining Social Enterprise Scheme 2026/27’

Source: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht

Ireland’s Minister for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer, has announced a €4 million fund to help social enterprises grow their earned income and long-term financial sustainability. The scheme, financed through dormant bank accounts, will support up to 35 projects over 23 months by funding the recruitment of staff – either to directly generate traded income or to free up existing employees to focus on income generation. Applications will be managed by Pobal through an open call process.

Argentina launches Impact Map to chart social and triple-impact enterprises

Source: Good Market

A consortium of international organisations – including the Social Enterprise World Forum, Echoing Green, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Hub – has launched a survey to build a global database of social and triple-impact enterprises. In Argentina, the research is being conducted in partnership with three national universities and EKHOS, a local impact ecosystem organisation and has already attracted more than 100 participating organisations. The initiative aims to gather data on how these enterprises operate, their use of sustainable finance and their contribution to economic, social and environmental development at a territorial level.

Costa Rica: Country’s social and solidarity economy mapped

Source: Pioneers Post

Costa Rica’s Social and Solidarity Economy Observatory has identified more than 27,000 social and solidarity economy entities operating across the country, involving around a third of the total population. The Observatory, established in July 2025, was set up to map the sector and inform public policy. In March 2026, the Costa Rican government passed new legislation formally recognising social and solidarity economy organisations in law, encompassing co-operatives, community-based organisations, worker-owned companies and others.

Social Change Central marks successful completion of a decade of impact, transitioning resources to Social Enterprise Australia

Source: Social Change Central

After ten years as a national information platform for Australia’s social enterprise sector, Social Change Central has announced it will cease operations on 15 May 2026. The organisation’s Resource Library and News Archive have been purchased by Social Enterprise Australia, which plans to review and integrate suitable materials into Understorey, its shared sector knowledge commons. Co-founders Jay Boolkin and Anne Lennon described the transition as a planned handover, reflecting the maturation of the sector and the growth of stronger national infrastructure since Social Change Central launched in 2016.

ACRE announces ‘Community Owned Australia’ at National Summit

Source: ACRE

ACRE has launched Community Owned Australia, a new support service and fund designed to help rural communities purchase and manage the local assets they depend on. Announced at SEGRA’s National Regional and Economic Development Summit in Lithgow, the initiative is backed by seed funding from the Paul Ramsay Foundation, AMP Foundation and Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise Foundation. It will offer communities a readiness assessment service, feasibility grants of up to AUD 50,000 and long-term concessional loans through a dedicated Rural Fund, with more than 40 communities already registering interest.