Supporting ecosystems for social enterprises in the Dutch institutional context

Abstract

Enterprises with social goals as their primacy are increasingly providing social impact and value for society, but are struggling to scale their activities. Providing these social enterprises with the tools and support they need to create their value, through the lens of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, is essential for the development of this sector. Through qualitative interviews with academic experts, a financial director, an entrepreneur and an intermediate party this research paper tends to contribute to an emerging discussion on social enterprise ecosystems and gain insight into the research question ‘’How can we boost these social enterprises in their activities?’’. Main findings are obstacles in finding and retaining talented employees, financial funding, impact measurement and recognition within society. International comparison finds similarities in the issues, but differences in the strategic approach of social entrepreneurship by Dutch institutions. Theoretical implications include newer forms of financing applicable to social entrepreneurship through entrepreneurial recycling and crowdfunding. Practical implications therefore include centralization of legal entities and requirements in measurement and reporting.