Government investment in the regeneration of deprived communities is a critical opportunity not only to improve physical infrastructure but also to address deep-rooted social and economic inequalities. While funding often focuses on construction, transport and digital connectivity, there is growing recognition that lasting change depends on empowering local people and this is where social entrepreneurs can play a transformative role.
Social enterprises are businesses with a social or environmental mission at their core. Unlike traditional commercial enterprises, they reinvest their profits into communities, helping to tackle unemployment, poverty, and social exclusion. When integrated into regeneration strategies, social enterprises bring locally rooted solutions that are tailored to the unique challenges of each area – whether it’s improving health outcomes, reducing reoffending, or boosting skills and employment.
Government programmes such as the UK’s Levelling Up Fund, the Community Ownership Fund, and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund are already making targeted investments in left-behind areas. However, these efforts could have even greater impact by building stronger pipelines of support for social entrepreneurs through capacity building, simplified grant access, and dedicated business support. By doing so, regeneration becomes more than just a facelift; it becomes a mechanism for long-term social value creation.
Public procurement also has a role to play. Embedding social value into contracts and prioritising “Buy Social” approaches can ensure that local spending stays local, with community organisations delivering key services and creating inclusive employment. Furthermore, regenerating disused public buildings or underutilised high street spaces for use by social enterprises can breathe new life into towns while fostering entrepreneurship.
Social entrepreneurs are uniquely placed to act as agents of regeneration, because they bring lived experience, trust, and innovation. With the right investment, they can scale their impact and help ensure that regeneration delivers not just growth, but fairness. If governments truly want to build thriving, inclusive places, then social enterprise must be at the heart of the strategy.
References
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), 2022. Levelling Up the United Kingdom. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/levelling-up-the-united-kingdom
Social Enterprise UK, 2023. Buy Social Corporate Challenge: Annual Report 2023. [online] Available at: https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/buy-social-corporate-challenge
Cabinet Office, 2021. Social Value Model: Procurement Policy Note 06/20. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-value-model
Locality, 2020. The Power of Community: Why Community Organisations Matter for Place-Based Change. [online] Available at: https://locality.org.uk
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