Building the impact economy together

Social enterprise is a dynamic field. In March 2021, 80 public and private sector organisations in the Netherlands endorsed the Social Enterprise City Deal. The purpose of this City Deal is to strengthen the impact economy. Also, a draft bill has been submitted to Dutch Parliament proposing to assign a special status to social entrepreneurs so as to raise their profile and highlight their efforts.

Deloitte supports and encourages social enterprises, for instance through the Deloitte Impact Foundation, which has been created to promote socially relevant themes in the areas of employment and education, sustainability and an inclusive society. One of the Deloitte Impact Foundation’s initiatives is the Scaling Social Enterprises programme. This programme offers social enterprises free access to our knowledge, expertise and networks to achieve growth. To do so, they need to hire more people, and these people typically come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They tend to have a hard or harder time finding work. Social enterprises hold the key to success by helping them join the workforce. This is how we build a more inclusive society together. Deloitte will continue its initiatives over the coming years and we expect to expand the current programme. We ensure continuity thanks to the WorldClass programme, which has been created to help 35,000 vulnerable people improve their position on the Dutch labour market every year over the next decade. We are pleased that Scaling Social Enterprises is an essential element of this programme.

The road travelled by social enterprises varies from one organisation to the next. The lessons they learn along the way are different too. The social entrepreneurs we interviewed for this booklet have shared their own personal ‘moments that matter’ with us as they lived them. Where did they make a difference and what can others learn from their experiences? This booklet is meant to inspire, motivate and encourage other entrepreneurs, whether they run social enterprises or not. It is a way to celebrate the seven social entrepreneurs we interviewed and showcase what they have achieved for society.

Curious about the stories? Download the booklet and find out more.