Social Enterprise Summit Scotland 2026
Our team had a fantastic time at the Social Enterprise Summit in Dundee this month. From start to finish, the energy in the room was truly inspiring.
We heard from a range of outstanding speakers, including Crafting Together CIC, whose story highlighted the vital role social enterprises play in strengthening Scotland’s communities, economy and future. These first-hand accounts of innovation, resilience and impact left us feeling more motivated than ever to champion positive change.
It was also a privilege to hear from Tom Arthur, Minister for Business and Fair Work, who posed the thought-provoking question of the day: "How do we grow?" The discussions that followed explored the opportunities and challenges facing the social enterprise sector and reinforced the importance of collaboration in driving sustainable growth.
A huge thank you to Social Enterprise Scotland and to all the speakers who shared their experiences, insights and expertise throughout the event.
Together, let's continue building a fairer, greener and more inclusive Scotland.
Here are some of our key takeaways:
- The Social Enterprise Movement has become a big part of economic conversations
Speakers:
Dance of Life – Recovery through movement.
Eat, Sleep, Ride – Why Social Enterprise? Without the funds, you can not keep doing the thing you are passionate about.
INCH Architecture – High quality architecture is for everyone.
Flexible Childcare Services Scotland – The old system holds people back economically.
Crafting Together – Helping people with learning disabilities engage in work.
FreshSight - Works with third sector organisations to deliver research and consulting projects, powered by student talent.
Cake or Dice - More than a board game café, more a creative community hub in the heart of Dundee.
Tom Arthur - Minister for Business and Fair Work – Talked about how we grow the economy and how we make sure it works for people. Social Enterprise shows that things can be done differently. Below you can read Julie from the ESES Team's key takeaways.
He referred to The Buy Social Pledge, Buy Social Scotland, and procurement for social, economic, and environmental impact. He also said that it is vital that we embed Social Enterprise into the Scottish Economy.
He said that Social Enterprise is creating services that people actually need and posed the day's thought-provoking question: "How do we grow?" How do we scale the work of social enterprises, open opportunities and strengthen partnerships?
Social Enterprises often offer Fair Work and jobs for people who might otherwise be excluded from the workforce, and can therefore help economic growth be shared, fair, and focused on improving lives.
Social Enterprises keep wealth in communities by retaining economic activity locally.
Can we use Social Enterprises to shape, design and make public services more effective? Can these public services be preventative? Can they be better connected?
Scotland has a social economy, with Social Enterprise at its centre, and the government has protected the Social Enterprise budget.
See more here: social-enterprise-action-plan-2024-26.pdf
Social Enterprise is part of Scotland’s Future; to be fairer, more resilient and more inclusive.
It will also be integral to Scotland’s ambition for Public Service Reform, read more here: Scotland's Public Service Reform Strategy: Delivering for Scotland - gov.scot