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SFEDI
Specialist Standard

S12 Social Enterprise and Community Business

This is about supporting enterprises that trade for a social or environmental purpose. It involves helping them balance mission and financial sustainability, choose the right legal and governance structure, find suitable finance and evidence their social impact.

How to read a Standard

Who it's for

Business support professionals who work with social enterprises, co-operatives, charities that trade and community businesses.

What you need to show

  • S12.1

    Help the client clarify their social or environmental mission and how their business model delivers it

  • S12.2

    Help the client choose an appropriate legal and governance structure

  • S12.3

    Help the client develop a business model that balances mission and financial sustainability

  • S12.4

    Help the client identify funding and finance options, including grants, social investment and community shares

  • S12.5

    Help the client strengthen their governance, including the role of the board and the involvement of volunteers

  • S12.6

    Help the client measure and report their social impact

  • S12.7

    Help the client win contracts, including public contracts that take account of social value

  • S12.8

    Help the client engage their community and stakeholders

What you need to know and understand

  • S12.K1

    How social enterprises compare with private businesses, including the triple bottom line

  • S12.K2

    The legal forms available to social enterprises (for example community interest companies, charities, co-operatives, community benefit societies and companies limited by guarantee) and how they are regulated

  • S12.K3

    Governance, and the responsibilities of directors, trustees and members

  • S12.K4

    Social investment and community finance

  • S12.K5

    Approaches to measuring social impact

  • S12.K6

    Social value in public procurement

  • S12.K7

    Mission drift, asset locks and the balance between trading and purpose

  • S12.K8

    Working with volunteers

Evolved from

The social enterprise content throughout the Business Support Standards (for example Business Support 2, knowledge items 12, 13 and 24, and Business Support 9, item 45).