European Social Enterprise Monitor (ESEM)

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.

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