Funded by Advantage West Midlands, SECoE is the Social Enterprise Centre of Expertise.
SECoE is hosted by Social Enterprise West Midlands, and over the next two years will aim to improve access to appropriate and high quality business support for social enterprises.
SECoE Priorities
Making the case for social enterprise by collecting and commissioning data, research and market intelligence;
Embedding social enterprise in regional enterprise policy and economic strategy;
Promoting social enterprise as a mainstream choice of model for those seeking to start businesses;
Identifying capacity-building opportunities and work with providers to improve support services for social enterprises by addressing gaps in provision;
Influencing the regional support strategy with Business Link West Midlands and its partners;
Assisting the support and development of excellence among providers of business support to social enterprises.
SECoE Survey
In September 2009 SECoE staff, Laurence Green and Melanie Mills, launched the 'Social Enterprise Business Support and Advice Survey', which encouraged social enterprises (pre-start, start-up or existing) to come forward and share their experiences of business support services in the region (good or bad). The survey results have helped SECoE to assess the level of business support already available for the sector and its usefulness.
The 2009 survey results can be found here.
Other Centres of Expertise
SECoE is one of four Centres of Expertise funded to improve business support for key groups. Others include:
MEECoE - Minority Ethnic Enterprise Centre of Expertise
WEECoE - Women's Enterprise Centre of Expertise
YPECoE - Young People's Enterprise Centre of Expertise
All the Centres are working together to shape and influence mainstream business support for their respective constituencies.