Themes

In the context of some public services not meeting people’s needs, poor outcomes for those most in need of support, and ever-increasing financial pressures, E3M Imagine explores how successful social enterprise and co-operative models can be scaled.

What works and what is needed to create more effective, responsive, and sustainable people-focused public services? E3M’s new publication demonstrates the innovation and impact which social enterprises bring to people-focused public services, and the changes needed to how public authorities commission services, public procurement rules are interpreted, investment is structured and the wider role of […]

It is a pivotal moment for public services, which face increasing demand and record pressures. Resources are stretched, ‘dysfunctional’ markets have failed many people-centred services, and extractive practices are minimising resources and creating bigger problems for vulnerable people and service providers. We need to reimagine public service delivery. E3M Imagine took place on 7 May 2025 […]

Building on the success of E3M Imagine 2024, this one-day, interactive event brought together the experience of innovative social enterprise leaders, bold commissioners responsible for public services, and funders and social investors to focus on real issues and discuss how to improve outcomes and meet challenges in the future.

As the new Labour Government looks to tackle the issues faced by our creaking public services, it should be aware of the opportunities offered by purpose aligned partners working locally, regionally and nationally to find new solutions. Labour has made a commitment to support diverse business models and double the size of the co-operative sector. With […]

This one-day, interactive event looked at how to grow social enterprise and co-operative models for public services, to improve outcomes and meet challenges for the future. In the context of some public services not meeting people’s needs, poor outcomes for some of those most in need of support, and ever-increasing financial pressures, the event explored […]

Nicole Reed, Senior Associate Solicitor at Stone King, writes about her experience of the E3M learning exchange with Suara Cooperativa.

This one-day seminar explored how social enterprises can work in partnership to achieve impact and transform lives in local communities. This includes social enterprises working with the public and private sectors, with social investors, and with other social enterprises and charities. Increasingly, people are using the language of partnership, social value, collaboration and impact, but […]

This blog was written by Julian Blake of E3M partner Stone King for the Human Learning Systems (HLS) website and we are pleased to share it on ours as we believe our approach in E3M is complementary to the work of HLS. Julian, who is a public benefit lawyer and co-author of The Art of […]

On Tuesday 11th May, we were delighted to launch our online resource, From Procurement to Partnership: a Practical Toolkit For Commissioners. Developed in association with E3M’s partners, Buzzacott, Stone King, The Change Coefficient and Zurich Municipal, together with colleagues from some of our member organisations, Catch22 and Kibble from the Social Enterprise Leaders Club, and […]