Social enterprise

Social enterprise

The University of Northampton - the UK's no. 1 university for Social Enterprise

Social enterprise offers a new way to do business that is animated by a social purpose. It aims to show that businesses and markets can deliver social benefits and tackle difficult social problems. Social enterprises represent a more creative capitalism that can adapt business and the market to better address unmet social needs. They trade products and services to further social and environmental goals.

The University of Northampton defines social enterprise as 'Using market disciplines to achieve a social outcome driven by social values'.

What is the University's social enterprise vision?

Our vision is to be the UK's leading university for social enterprise by 2015. We have a strategic level commitment to support social enterprise and social entrepreneurship.

What are our values?

Everything we do to help achieve the vision, to be the Number One University for social enterprise, is underpinned by three core values

1. Delivering an enhanced student experience

2. Delivering entrepreneurial, innovation and enterprise skills

3. Delivering through our values social inclusion and social innovation

Read more about our values

What have been our achievements so far?

We have received international recognition for our commitment to social innovation and entrepreneurship by being designated a 'Changemaker Campus' by Ashoka U, making us the first UK university to be awarded this honour, and one of the only 22 in the world to receive the designation.

The University has also been awarded with the UnLtd/Hefce award for 'Outstanding Higher Education Institution supporting Social Entrepreneurship' in 2011, and has been named the Midlands most 'Enterprising University of the Year' for both 2011 and 2012, in recognition of our work in social enterprise.

We are now widely recognized as the UK's no. 1 university for social enterprise and are continuing to take new initiatives both within and outside the university to maintain our leading status.



The Vice Chancellor discusses Social Enterprise


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Great piece from @curtistim @Uni4SE: Values & Ethics in Socially Entrepreneurial Universities http://t.co/Nb1JYghMI1 @HPUKStudents #socent
RT @PioneersPost: got too much to do? get someone else to do it! http://t.co/PwZ1ImMape #biz
@Inspire2E's Andrew Cook discusses starting a social enterprise in the latest #socent podcast on @GuardianSocEnt https://t.co/uVgRD1mdVj
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