Welcome

Introduction                 

Heriot-Watt University has established a Social Enterprise Institute (SEI) located at its Edinburgh Campus. The business of the institute is the provision of research, training, business planning, education and consultancy services for all stakeholders in the social economy.

Social Enterprises are sustainable businesses that exist to achieve some form of social mission or objective. In order to succeed, they need to trade successfully in markets. Social Enterprises can be identified through three common characteristics: enterprise orientation, explicit social aims and some form of social ownership.

Social enterprises re-invest their profits/surpluses in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners.

As part of the School of Management and Languages, the SEI is concerned with the dissemination of best practice relating to these "not for profit" businesses and their leadership. In order to achieve this, the SEI will organize an annual programme of conferences and seminars.

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