Social Enterprises

Overview

This overview provides a synopsis of the current knowledge base. Having considered all the information, we make sense of it by taking a stab at the following: 1) What are the priority issues that deserve attention, 2) What are opportunity areas that community or voluntary organisations can already take action on, and 3) What knowledge gaps deserve further investigation?

Priority Issues

• [to insert]
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Actionable Opportunity Areas

• [to insert]
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Knowledge Gaps

• [to insert] Why driven by MSF, instead of MTI?
• [to insert]

Definitions

What counts as a Social Enterprise in Singapore?

• [Need to integrate: See ACSEP paper Landscape of Social Enterprises in Singapore and Finding a Common Language for Social Enterprises in Singapore for an academic definition]
• RaiSE does not have a formal definition? In their report, there is a broad definition: "Social enterprises are businesses that are set up with clear social goals. These goals include uplifting the lives of vulnerable people through training and employment, or tackling entrenched as well as emerging social problems through innovative solutions. While creating social impact, social enterprises seek to achieve financial sustainability through the trading of goods and services."
• While RaiSE in their reports use a generic definition, funding spells out what counts as a Social Enterprise in the following ways:
  • 2 types of SEs: Beneficiary-focused (provides employment opportunities for selected marginalised groups, or goods and services with social) that and non beneficiary focused (such as providing capability building for SEs or SSAs)
  • What they consider to be beneficiaries.
• Types of social enterprises [Are cooperatives counted as social enterprises in Singapore?]

Key Statistics & Figures

• For an overview of the sector, see RaiSE's Report State of the Social Enterprise in Singapore 2017

Map of Key Needs & Issues

[This table and arrows acts as a kind of visual map that allows a sense of sequencing; of the broad preconditions necessary for longer term outcomes to be achieved. Hyperlink the categories below to the specific page or sub-header in the page for easy navigation, so that you can click on 'Employment' below for example, and get straight to that page / segment]

Click the links below to go directly to specific areas of interest:

PROGRAMMES / RESOURCES		DESIRED OUTCOMES
-Outreach -Hackathons	→	Attract Potential Entrepreneurs	↓
-Training -Leadership	→	Committed Team with Relevant Expertise	↘
Early Stage Funding	→	Resources to Start Up and Pilot	↘
				Financially Sustainable Business Model	↘
Incubators	→	Viable Business Solutions	↗			Scaled up Social Change
-SE Networks -Associations	→	Supportive Peer Network	↗
-Accelerators -Growth Stage Funding	→		→	Resources for Growth & Expansion	→
Impact Assessment	→		→	Social Objectives Achieved	↗
-Research & Reports -Social Needs Related Networks	→	Understand Opportunities for Social Business	↗
-Public Awareness -Awards & Recognition -Governance & Standards	→				→	Credible Social Enterprise Sector

Sub-pages

• If there are population segments that have substantial enough information or interest, then create sub-pages for them. e.g. 'Autism' can be a stand alone pages linked to the Disability pages if the autism community is keen to populate more autism specific information. Or, artists with disability can populate a 'Arts & Disability' page.
• Insert links to these sub-pages.

Cooperatives

• See wiki page on Cooperatives

Areas of Needs / Desired Outcomes

To start contributing to this section, consult this guiding Template.

Attract Potential Entrepreneurs

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions
Outreach (?)
Hackathons Leap for Good (RaiSE) that leads to incubation support for selected teams Phillip Yeo Innovation Fellows Programme (administered by NUS Enterprise)

Outreach

• [to insert]

Hackathons

• Leap for Good (RaiSE) that leads to incubation support for selected teams
• Phillip Yeo Innovation Fellows Programme (administered by NUS Enterprise)
• Young Sustainable Impact Southeast Asia - 5 month programme. Have started to admit founders of existing start-ups rather than just those who were merely interested.

Expertise & Commitment

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions
Training Programmes
Leadership Development
Guides & Toolkits

Training Programmes (for Early Stage / Start-Ups)

• RaiSE Social Enterprise Development Fundamentals Workshop
• RaiSE customised workshops targeted at SSAs or other organisations
• RaiSE Masterclasses

Leadership Development (Mature Stage)

• RaiSE - SMU Leadership Programme
• RaiSE Fellowship

Guides & Toolkits

• RaiSE curated guides and toolkits

Development of Viable Business Solutions

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert] [Many incubators and accelerators in SG, how do the ones that target social enterprises stack up when compared with others? If SE administered under MTI instead of MSF will there be more resources availed? Same issue on co-ops under MCCY instead of MTI]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions
Hackathons Leap for Good (RaiSE) that leads to incubation support for selected teams Phillip Yeo Innovation Fellows Programme (administered by NUS Enterprise)
Incubators (Early Stage) Resource Directory of Incubators and Accelerators: https://www.startupsg.net/directory/incubators/ [Need better classification to differentiate incubators of more 'social' forms of enterprises and tech-based incubators?] RaiSE Incubation Programme SIF Young Social Entrepreneurs Programme NUS Enterprise Early Stage (Hangar, Lean Launchpad, Start-Up Validation Programme) Enactus Accelerator ImpactTech	Charities not good at incubating businesses, because of risk required. But they know clients well.
Accelerators (Growth Stage) RaiSE Grow Big Programme NUS Enterprise Block 71 ImpactTech accelerator programme

Hackathons

• Leap for Good (RaiSE) that leads to incubation support for selected teams

Incubators (Early Stage)

• Resource Directory of Incubators and Accelerators: https://www.startupsg.net/directory/incubators/ [Need better classification to differentiate incubators of more 'social' forms of enterprises and tech-based incubators?] Compiled by Startup SG, an initiative of Enterprise Singapore that provides comprehensive support for startup development in Singapore.
• Raise Incubation Programme (6 months, Coaching & Mentoring, Workshops, Pitch at the end)
• SIF Young Social Entrepreneurs Programme (Mentorship, Study trips, Pitch at the end)
• NUS Enterprise (Early Stage Programmes: Hangar, Lean Launchpad, Start-Up Validation)
• Enactus Accelerator (called accelerator but i sounds like incubator)
• ImpactTech

Accelerators (Growth Stage)

• RaiSE Grow Big Programme
• NUS Enterprise Block 71
• ImpactTech accelerator programme

Funding and Resourcing

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions
Early Stage Funding RaiSE Venture for Good RaiSE Venture for Good Youth
Growth Stage Funding RaiSE Impact Finance DBS Foundation SE Grant

[More meaningful to categorise by source of money or stage?]

Early Stage Funding

• RaiSE Venture for Good
• RaiSE Venture for Good Youth

Growth Stage Funding

• RaiSE Impact Finance
• DBS Foundation SE Grant, up to $250k

Understand Social Needs & Opportunities for Business Solution

• Desired Outcome: [To insert] 'Customer Discovery'
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions
Research & Reports Lien Centre for Social Innovation Unmet Social Needs Studies	Identifies problems and makes broad recommendations, but may have enough to be actionable solutions?
Social Needs Related Networks & Events RaiSE Industry Circles

Research & Reports

• Lien Centre for Social Innovation Unmet Social Needs Studies

Social Needs Related Networks & Events

• RaiSE Industry Circles

Peer Networks and Associations

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions
SE Networks
Membership and Association RaiSE

SE Networks

• RaiSE President's Challenge Social Enterprise Networking

Membership and Associations

• RaiSE (membership organisation)

Social Objectives Achieved

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions
Impact Assessment

Impact Assessment

• [To integrate info from ACSEP's Assessing the Impact of Social Enterprises]

Credible Social Enterprise Sector

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions
Public Awareness
Awards & Recognition
Governance & Standards

Public Awareness

• RaiSE Festival for Good
• [To integrate findings from ACSEP's Public Perception Study of Social Enterprises in Singapore]

Awards & Recognition

• RaiSE President's Challenge Social Enterprise Award

Governance & Standards

• [Does RaiSE develop standards and monitor?]

Resource Directory

Key Studies

[Need to insert key insights into page]

• 2016 Case Study on Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem in Singapore by The Japan Research Institute. See here
• 2019 Building the Ecosystem for Social Entrepreneurship: University Social Enterprise Cases in Singapore.[1]
• ACSEP Studies on Social Enterprises

Social Enterprises in Singapore

• To see list of Social Enterprises RaiSE list

Agencies & Organisations

Asian Center for Social Enterprise and Philanthropy (ACSEP)

• https://bschool.nus.edu.sg/acsep/

Deal'n

• https://www.dealiin.com/
• Online platform has been set up to allow people to hawk their craft and skills, with an eye to helping vulnerable groups like single mothers, ex-offenders and low-income senior citizens gain regular work. Listings by vulnerable individuals will be prioritised whenever someone searches for a particular product or service (TODAY 3 Dec 2017)

Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise (raiSE)

• https://www.raise.sg/
• Mandated to develop social enterprise sector.
• Seed and nurture new enterprises by providing advisory, capacity building and financing.
• Membership organisation for 400 over SEs.

NUS Enterprise

• http://enterprise.nus.edu.sg/

Enactus

• https://www.enactussingapore.org/