In Spotting Trends

Subject

This report provides an overview of the social enterprise landscape in the Netherlands based on available information as of December 2018. The report updates a previous version, submitted by ICF Consulting Services to the European Commission in 2014.

Details

Intermediary Org:
European Commission

Year: 2019

Extract…

This report discusses the presence of social enterprises in the Netherlands, as well as the forces that shape, enable or limit the development of social enterprises. For this report, as well as other reports in the “Mapping of Social Enterprises and their Ecosystems in Europe” series, social enterprises are understood to be enterprises that pursue the explicit social aim of serving the community or a specific group of people that shares a specific need. The term “social” includes the provision of cultural, health, educational and environmental services. Social enterprises require ownership structures and governance models that limit the profit distribution and enhance at various extents the participation of stakeholders affected by the enterprise. This report concludes overall that, at its core, the Netherlands provides a largely conducive ecosystem towards social enterprises. This can be traced back to historical and cultural roots (e.g. emphasis on volunteering, companies taking societal responsibility) that have led to a society where business and societal value have been intertwined.