Social enterprises’ ecosystem - status quo and its auspicious development

Abstract

There has been an increasing focus on the development of the social sector in Europe. This article presents several existing models of social enterprises in selected member states, namely Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Hungary and analyses the ecosystem in which they are functioning. The choice is based on territorial alleys and demographic and, to some extent, regional characteristics. A frugal comparative analysis has been carried out. The main aspect examined is the legal framework in which they operate. A review of possible portfolio of international and national funding instruments is presented and a short analysis of the traceability of the results is made. Existing and further updating of national legislations and policies is commented on. General assessment of the environment needed for their activities has been identified. Basic features and problems of the ecosystems of SE are discussed. The article considers common barriers and provides recommendations which the countries under review could follow in order to improve the success of social enterprises. The article indicates that the instability of the legal and financial environment hinders the development of social enterprises and reduces their life-span.