Public Sector and Social Entrepreneurs

Public Sector and Social Entrepeneurs

Social entrepreneurs often provide services aimed at marginalized groups or socially excluded people. Collaborating with, and selling services to the public sector are therefore often a central part of social entrepreneurs’ business models.

The public sector, for its part, is under increasing pressure to develop new and more efficient welfare services to keep up with the changes in society. This has led to an increased number of municipalities wanting to collaborate with social entrepreneurs.

Because social entrepreneurs are a heterogeneous group, it can sometimes be challenging to find a way of collaborating that works for both the entrepreneur and the public sector. Numerous factors influence the collaboration, including organisational structures, perceptions and financial positions of the parties involved, as well as legal questions and silo mindset. Despite the challenges, many parties make it work which benefits people from across Norway.

Read more about the defining features of social entrepreneurs here.

How Can I Buy Services or Products From Social Entrepreneurs?

Social entrepreneurs often find public sector procurement rules a hindrance and barrier to their ability to collaborate with the public sector. At the same time, many public sector procurers are uncertain about how to go about collaborating with social entrepreneurs or buying their products and services, both from a purely practical perspective and in terms of the necessary legal requirements. We see this barrier as an untapped opportunity and have therefore taken the initiative of producing a legal guide (only available in Norwegian).