​Social enterprises address social and environmental problems through innovative solutions that improve people’s lives in our communities and societies. They operate globally, but there is little data about their activity in most countries. This project seeks to gain an understanding of what type of social enterprises exist and what they are achieving in Bangladesh, Ghana, India and Pakistan.

ODI and a team of partners are gathering initial quantitative data on social enterprises with funding from the British Council.

Ennovent and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) are leading the study in India. Songhai Advisory are leading work in Ghana. BetterStories are leading work in Bangladesh. And the Social Innovation Lab in Lahore are leading the Pakistan study. ODI is providing oversight, with support from Social Enterprise UK who are running the UK’s social enterprise survey.

There are two main components to the work:

• Surveying social enterprises to better understand their activities
  
• Conducting brief analysis of existing support to social enterprise through government policy and through higher education programmes
  

The social enterprise survey will ask questions about staff numbers, turnover, sector focus and beneficiaries reached, whilst asking questions to determine the social enterprise status of the organisation.

Results from the study will be published, although data from the surveys will be aggregated so that sensitive components are anonymised.

The study also serves as baseline data for ongoing work by the British Council in these four countries.

If you have any questions about the overall study, please contact Emily Darko ([email protected]). For country-specific queries, please contact:

• MinhazAnwar (Bangladesh)
  
• KissyAgyeman-Togobo (Ghana)
  
• DeepakShandilya (India)
  
• MaryamMohiuddin Ahmed (Pakistan)