The University of Northampton, in partnership with E3M, is pleased to announce that the Inaugural E3M European Conference and Exhibition 2013 entitled Growing Successful Social Enterprise: Lessons and Opportunities will take place on Monday 4^th and Tuesday 5^th March 2013, at Kettering Conference Centre, Kettering, Northants. 

This two-day conference brings together up to 500 social enterprise leaders, social investment intermediaries, public authorities, advisors, policy makers, researchers and others interested in the growth of social enterprises from across Europe. 

Delivered in three working languages (English, French and Italian) the event provides an opportunity to explore the secrets for social enterprise success in creating innovative services and employment, focussing on the key issues of Markets, Money, Models and Measurement.  

Social Investment – Speakers will share experience on the efforts to grow a social investment market.  This will include examples such as Big Society Capital in the UK, innovative approaches to risk assessment and lending by Italy’s Banca Prossima and the new 500m Euro innovation fund being established to invest in social enterprises in France.

Markets – Stimulating Innovation and social value through procurement – In the context of the EU Social Business Initiative, delegates will learn how changes to European Procurement rules and State Aid can create new opportunities. They will look at some of the innovative measures that are being developed at a national level such as the Social Value Act in the UK or system of choice in Sweden. There will be practical innovative examples of good commissioning models that meet users’ needs in the context of rising expectation and limited budgets.

Models for growth – An exchange of experience about the different growth models used, such as the very successful Italian consortia, the growth of Community Interest Companies in the UK and increasing use of joint ventures by social enterprises.

Measurement – The event will share the learning on the different models and tools being used to assess impact and promote discussion of the moves to standardise approaches in different countries and at EU level.

Bringing together practitioners, policy makers and academics from Europe, we believe this conference will be the premier social enterprise event in the UK in 2013. It offers the SE UEN members fantastic opportunities to collectively and as individual universities make contacts, display their knowledge, and learn new things.

To enquire about attending, exhibiting or sponsoring the conference, please contact events@cjsevents.co.uk