Social Impact Ireland is delighted to announce that it has partnered with Social Enterprise Mark CIC, an international accreditation body, to pioneer the Social Enterprise Mark in Ireland. Through this, Irish social enterprises can now gain the recognition that builds their capabilities as competitive, sustainable businesses, dedicated to maximising social impact.
This is a huge turning point for the sector, as this is the first-ever quality mark of it’s kind in Ireland; and an opportunity to show credibility for the work social enterprises do, the values that they hold, and the ethos of their businesses. The announcement was fittingly made on Thursday 19th, November which was Social Enterprise Day and Entrepreneurship Day.
The Social Enterprise Mark defines what it means to be a genuine social enterprise. This international accreditation acts as an independent, externally assessed guarantee that a business is operating as a social enterprise, with the central aim of using income/ profits to maximise social benefit, taking precedence over generating dividends for owners and shareholders. It provides assurance that a company is living up to its claims as a business committed to creating positive social and/ or environmental change.
Pauline Gannon, Director of Impact and one of the founders of Social Impact Ireland, speaking about the Social Enterprise Mark said: “We are incredibly privileged to work with Social Enterprise Mark CIC to bring their worldwide recognised Social Enterprise Mark to Ireland. A momentous moment in the history of the social enterprise sector here in Ireland and a turning point for all involved in the sector. Bringing recognition and credibility to those who work with impact at the heart of what they do.”
Pauline continued “The Social Enterprise Mark is crucial at this time, it’s the next natural step in the process to bring credibility to the work tirelessly carried out by social enterprises, and to carve out a really important space to aid our economical and societal recovery, during and post Covid 19.”
Lucy Findlay MBE, Managing Director of Social Enterprise Mark CIC said: “We are really excited to be working with Social Impact Ireland to introduce the Social Enterprise Mark in Ireland. The current worldwide health and economic crisis has shown that there is more of an appetite than ever for the formation of businesses that can evidence social impact as their raison d’etre. The Social Enterprise Mark proves those credentials in a world where actions must speak louder than words.”
Social Impact Ireland (formerly the Irish Social Business Campus) is the result of founders Pauline Gannon and Eamon Ryan collaborating and working together with its partner organisations, Nexus Innovation Centre, Kemmy Business School the University of Limerick, Ludgate Innovation Hub Skibbereen and Development Company partnerships NEWKD, SECAD, CLDC; with a common goal of building a positive and impactful future for all social enterprises nationally.
To learn more about Social Impact Ireland and the Social Enterprise Mark, please visit www.socialimpactireland.ie.