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Sweden

There are some 290 social enterprises in Sweden which work with labour market integration. Along with public projects they employ around 10,000 people – 1/3 are in ordinary employment without state support. 

In 2010 the Swedish government presented a national action plan for social enterprises with an overarching employment perspective.

Since 2006, Sweden has promoted social enterprises and regulated the amount of dividend which can be paid. 

Finland

A new law on social enterprises in 2004 used a range of criteria to define social enterprises, with special focus on efforts to promote employment. The law was revised in 2007 in order to expand the definition of vulnerable groups whom the law would encompass. In addition to people with handicaps or those in long-term unemployment, the law now also covers pensioners without a pension and immigrants who speak no Finnish or Swedish. 

Norway

The Norwegian government has not had a special focus on social enterprises, but it has studied the issue and set aside a small pot of money for the support of social entrepreneurship. In 2008 social entrepreneurship was mentioned in a government white paper presented to parliament, and several Norwegian government departments have dealt with the issue in various ways. 

”Ferd Sosiale Entreprenører” is a private investment fund which invests in Norwegian social enterprises. It was established in 2009 and by 2012 it had invested in 12 social enterprises working with prevention or inclusion in the children and youth sector.  The number of support applications rose from around 200 in 2009 to around 450 in 2011. 

Source: The Committee for social enterprises, September 2013