The Social and Sustainable Enterprise Network (SSEN)

The Social and Sustainable Enterprise Network (SSEN) is constituted as a Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE).

Following the recent declines in public sector funding, resources and service provision, there has been a rapid growth in interest in the role of social and sustainable enterprises in the UK economy. The rationale for establishing the SSEN Special Interest Group, therefore, is to develop a multidisciplinary (university, industry, government) group focusing on these issues.

Members of the SSEN community share an interest in advancing our understanding of social & sustainable enterprises through dissemination of knowledge, research collaboration and involvement of key individuals in the field.

Aims of the SSEN SIG:

• Promote the creation of scholarly research.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange between researchers, educators, policymakers and business support professionals.
• Enable the development of entrepreneurship policy.
• Support the career development of its members.

These aims will be fulfilled by the following objectives:

• Organisation of events that facilitate the research and development of social and sustainable enterprise and entrepreneurship.
• Promoting the formation of rich networks within its membership.
• Providing support to appropriate track leaders at the annual conference.

• Providing regular information about their activities for dissemination to members.

Organising Committee and Officers

Chair: Professor Fergus Lyon
Deputy and Chair of conference track: Dr Richard Blundel (Open University)
Committee members: Prof Eleanor Shaw (University of Strathclyde), Dr Sarah Underwood,  Prof Nigel Lockett (University of Leeds), Maggie O’Carroll (The Women's Organisation), Mike Bull ( Manchester Metropolitan University), Dr. Rory Ridley Duff (Sheffield Hallam University).
Become a member: contact the ISBE at chris@isbe.org.uk
NB: It is not a requirement that you are a member of ISBE to become a member of the SSEN SIG and we welcome anyone with an interest in this field to contact us.

Past events

‘Social enterprise and philanthropy: their role in the new Big Society’ - 19 January 2011

'Bridging the social investment gap' - 1 July 2011

'Where next for sustainable enterprise?: Policy and research perspectives' - 20 September 2011