Assessing the state, impact and potential of Sheffield’s Social Enterprise Sector
Working with Sheffield Social Enterprise Network (SSEN), this project analyses the state, impact and potential of Sheffield's social enterprise sector.
About the project
This project aims to shed light on Sheffield as a ‘social enterprise place’, drawing upon qualitative and quantitative research conducted in 2023-2024. In particular, insights are provided on the state of Sheffield’s social enterprise sector, its impacts and potential. The project was supported by the Sheffield Innovation Programme (SIP) and the European Regional Development Fund, as well as Sheffield University Management School’s Research and Impact Stimulation Fund. It was undertaken in collaboration with SSEN, with the assistance of Viewpoint Research CIC, and was made possible with the generous help of many of Sheffield’s social enterprises and their supporters.
Theoretical background to the project
This project lightly draws upon several theoretical approaches and extant academic literature to explore Sheffield as a ‘social enterprise place’. Firstly, our work connects
with and draws upon geographical and place-based perspectives on social entrepreneurship (see for example, Amin et al., 2002).
This work stresses the importance of place and wider context in conditioning the practice of social entrepreneurship and its outcomes. Notions of social entrepreneurial ecosystems were also utilised, which are concerned with the cultural, social, and material attributes of places that together constitute the (social) entrepreneurial ecosystem.
To understand the impacts of social enterprises in Sheffield, our analysis drew upon the extant literature on impact assessment for social enterprises and particularly the Community Capitals Framework (Emery & Flora 2006). CCC focuses on the composition of different capital assets in communities (stocks), how additional capital may be invested in a community (flows), and how different capitals may interact, leading to impacts across the capital endowments.
The seven components of community capital are:
- Natural capital - the natural assets/resources of a community such as water
(quality and quantity), air, soil, flora and fauna, biodiversity, landscapes and
natural beauty. - Human capital – the skills, knowledge and wider capabilities of individuals in a
community. - Social capital – the connections among people and organisations.
- Political capital – the access of individuals and communities to power and their
ability to influence organisations, institutions, and systems. - Cultural capital - the way people ‘know the world’ and how they act within it.
- Financial capital – the financial resources held, available and circulating in a
community. - Built/physical capital - the physical ‘hard’ wealth, assets, and infrastructure of a
community (e.g., buildings).
The research approach
Working closely with SSEN the research team drew upon existing quantitative data as well as collecting new data via a dedicated survey tool and interviews and focus groups with social entrepreneurs, social enterprise managers, sector support organisations, and wider sector stakeholders, e.g., representatives of local government, business network organisations like the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce etc., Quantitative data was analysed statistically to identify key trends and insights; Qualitative data was analysed using a robust methodology informed by best practices in the field.
Key findings
Key findings on the ‘state of the social enterprise sector in Sheffield’ include:
(i) 82% of the social enterprises surveyed think Sheffield is a good place to start
a social enterprise;
(ii) On average, Sheffield social enterprises derive 63% of their income from
trading;
(iii) A majority of social enterprises (67%) report that demand for their
products/services/ support has grown in the most recent financial year;
(iv) A majority of social enterprises made a profit/surplus (39%) or broke even
(33%) in the most recent financial year;
(v) Social enterprises in Sheffield have diverse beneficiaries, but with a particular
focus on supporting vulnerable people;
(vi) Social enterprises felt that their impacts had increased in the most recent
financial year;
(vii) Only 33% attempt to quantitatively measure the social value they create, and
74% think help with impact assessment would be useful or very useful;
(viii) There seem to be relatively fewer social entrepreneurs from ethnic minority
backgrounds, raising issues of access and opportunity;
(ix) A majority (57%) think that accessing appropriate finance is a key challenge
for social enterprises in Sheffield;
(x) Expectations for the next 12 months are positive - 80% of social enterprises
are expected to increase their impacts and 75% expected to improve their
turnovers.
Key qualitative findings first include the identification of 10 major areas of challenge for the sector and its social enterprises. Key pathways to impact (‘how’) for social enterprises in Sheffield include through their products and services, the employment and workplace opportunities they create, procurement and payments they make, their wider project and development work, and through partnerships – there is significant recognition that Sheffield’s challenges cannot be addressed by any one actor alone.
‘Where’ the impacts of Sheffield’s social enterprises are felt is also revealed, encompassing impacts on individuals, communities, organisations and systems. The Community Capitals Framework is used to illustrate how social enterprises in Sheffield holistically impact stocks of built/physical, financial, natural, human, political, social, and cultural capital across the city, in communities, and for households and individuals. Lastly, some of the strengths of social enterprises and the sector are revealed, including a discussion of how, with support, these might contribute to a more prosperous, flourishing, and sustainable future for Sheffield.
Recommendations are also made in this regard, drawing upon the data collection.
Download the project's final report here - Item - “A social enterprise place": Assessing the state, impact and potential of Sheffield's social enterprise sector - The University of Sheffield - Figshare
Key research outputs
- Littlewood, D., Ljubownikow, S., Ngo, T., & Huang, S. (2024). "A social enterprise
place": Insights on the state, impact, and potential of Sheffield's social enterprise
sector, Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference 2024,
Sheffield Hallam University. - Littlewood, D., Ljubownikow, S., Mirfin-Boukouris, H., & Sepulveda, I.E.P. (2023).
Assessing the state, impact, and potential of Sheffield's social enterprise
community, International Social Innovation Research Conference 2023,
Universidade do Minho, Campus de Azurém, Guimarães, September 6-8th.
