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The European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM) is a biennial survey-based study on social enterprises (SEs) across Europe.
The ESEM provides information to decision makers so that they can better accommodate and support SEs in their policy, funding and legal frameworks.The ESEM is led at the European level by Euclid Network (EN), with country teams leading the work at the national level.
Read the latest European Social Enterprise Monitor Report 2023 – 2024 Read the ESEM Thematic Report
The European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM) is a biennial survey-based study on social enterprises (SEs) across Europe. This second ESEM thematic report explores the 2023-2024 ESEM data, collected from 1807 SEs across 30 European countries,1 from the perspective of current (2024) founder age, and seeks to illustrate the particular experiences and perspectives of ESEM SEs with either young (<35) or more senior (55-64 and 65+) founders. At the time of founding, at least 19% of ESEM SEs had young founders (<35), while only 3% had founders aged 55+. Currently, while 7% of ESEM SEs have founders who are young, 15% are aged 55+ (including 4% aged 65+).
Read the latest European Social Enterprise Monitor Report 2023 – 2024
The European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM) is a biennial survey-based study on social enterprises (SEs) across Europe. This third edition, taking place over 2023-2024, builds on the editions of 2020-21 and 2021-22.
The ESEM provides information to decision makers so that they can better accommodate and support SEs in their policy, funding and legal frameworks.The ESEM is led at the European level by Euclid Network (EN), with country teams leading the work at the national level. The European Report provides an overview of the data at the European level. National data and analysis are available in the Country Reports (‘xSEM’), produced by country partners. This data gathered by the ESEM includes observations related to the 1807 SEs across 30 European countries sampled in 2023-2024.
Read The Women in Social Enterprise: Observations on the State of the Sector in Europe
Investigating 2021-2022 European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM) data from a gender lens, this report explores women’s representation and leadership within ESEM social enterprises (SEs).
In particular, it elucidates variation in women’s representation in relation to key SE characteristics and themes of impact, governance, finance and barriers.
It also assesses convergence and discrepancies between subsamples of ESEM SEs with all or no women (AW vs. NW) in leadership.
While not implying any causal effects of gender, this report illuminates various facets of the experience of women within the European SE sector (to the extent that ESEM SEs represent the sector), and clarifies directions for further research.
Closing the gap between social enterprises and EU decision-makers
Launched in 2020, the aim of the European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM) is to close the current gap on social enterprise data to inform decision-makers in government, civil society and the economy.
The European Commission is proud to support this year’s ESEM, the second edition covering the period 2022-2023. This report builds on the seminal work of the first ESEM 2020-2021 and has impressively scaled from eight to 21 countries in just one year across the EU and the wider European neighbourhood. It provides key data and insights for policy-makers, investors, support organisations, academia and social entrepreneurs themselves.
The Project
Over the past 5-14 years, country monitors in Germany, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom have delivered in-depth data on social enterprise and start-ups leading to important changes in policy-making, investment decision-making and an increased visibility and understanding of the social enterprise model and its crucial role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Building upon this success, Euclid Network (EN) in collaboration with its members and partners launched the European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM). ESEM is the first social enterprise monitor on the European level. The project intends to close the current gap on social enterprise data and inform decision-makers in government, civil society and the economy. The aim is to communicate, support and promote the needs and interests of enterprises in the social and solidarity economy across Europe and beyond. The ESEM gathers participants’ insights on social entrepreneurship and makes them available for decision makers, government officials, investors, researchers and impact practitioners.
Since the inaugural study was launched in 2020, the ESEM is an annual meta study, describing the results of an online survey, comprising social enterprise and start-up data at European and country level.
The project produces elaborate country reports (xSEM) and European comparison, which allows for profound insights on the social enterprise ecosystem across Europe, and highlight the opportunities for development of the sector and its impact.
If you would like to become a founding sponsor of the project, please consult the ESEM Executive Summary Project Outline and contact Toby Gazeley at toby@euclidnetwork.eu.
If you would like to become an outreach partner of the project and get featured as an official partner, please reach out to ines@euclidnetwork.eu.
The Project
Over the past 5-14 years, country monitors in Germany, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom have delivered in-depth data on social enterprise and start-ups leading to important changes in policy-making, investment decision-making and an increased visibility and understanding of the social enterprise model and its crucial role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Building upon this success, Euclid Network (EN) in collaboration with its members and partners launched the European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM). ESEM is the first social enterprise monitor on the European level. The project intends to close the current gap on social enterprise data and inform decision-makers in government, civil society and the economy. The aim is to communicate, support and promote the needs and interests of enterprises in the social and solidarity economy across Europe and beyond. The ESEM gathers participants’ insights on social entrepreneurship and makes them available for decision makers, government officials, investors, researchers and impact practitioners.
Since the inaugural study was launched in 2020, the ESEM is an annual meta study, describing the results of an online survey, comprising social enterprise and start-up data at European and country level.
The project produces elaborate country reports (xSEM) and European comparison, which allows for profound insights on the social enterprise ecosystem across Europe, and highlight the opportunities for development of the sector and its impact.
If you would like to become a founding sponsor of the project, please consult the ESEM Executive Summary Project Outline and contact Toby Gazeley at toby@euclidnetwork.eu.
If you would like to become an outreach partner of the project and get featured as an official partner, please reach out to eva@euclidnetwork.eu.
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ESEM in the Media
European Academic Research Board
Professor Johanna Mair
Hertie School of Governance, Stanford
Professor Matthias Raith
Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg (OvGU) – Faculty of Economics and Management, EURAM
Utrecht University – School of Economics
Country Partners
Research Partners & Research Board
Founding Partners & Sponsors
Media & Outreach Partners
