A Social Enterprise is an enterprise whose objective is to achieve a social, societal or environmental
impact, rather than maximising profit for its owners or shareholders.
It pursues its objectives by trading on an ongoing basis through the provision of goods and/or
services, and by reinvesting surpluses into achieving social objectives. It is governed in a fully
accountable and transparent manner.
These characteristics make social enterprises different from enterprises that operate for private
profit. But they also sometimes make it difficult for social enterprises to access the type of supports
that are available to other enterprises to improve their business models. The need for improved
access to appropriate supports for social enterprises has been highlighted by stakeholders on many
occasions and this Policy seeks to address that gap.
Social enterprises are part of the wider social economy and make a valuable contribution to the
social and economic progress of Ireland through the creation of jobs and through the delivery
of a broad range of services in areas such as homecare, child care, employment activation,
retail, hospitality and catering, environmental services, and social housing. They are innovative,
entrepreneurial and are increasingly utilising new technologies and creative approaches to address
social, societal or environmental challenges
Ref: https://assets.gov.ie/19332/2fae274a44904593abba864427718a46.pdf