The Irish Social Enterprise Network (ISEN) is a National Body for Social Enterprise in Ireland. We aim to point people in the right direction to get their idea off the ground or their organisation to the next level. ISEN focus on three core pillars of Education, Advocacy and Network.
ISEN has consistently built on the development of the social enterprise and entrepreneurship sector including by advocating for and achieving a National Social Enterprise Policy, running the National Social Enterprise Helpline, the BuySocial.ie directory and the #BuySocialIRL initiative, the SocialEnterpriseToolkit.ie and our training and development courses and interventions.
We have achieved several European projects including the ‘Net-Works’ project focusing on the sustainability of networks across Europe, the ‘BuyWISEly’ project focusing on social enterprise market development, ‘GreenBoost4WISEs’ project focusing on reducing carbon footprint of Work Integration Social Enterprises, EaSI ‘SocialFinance.ie’ project focusing on new grant and loan development, ‘BlueDots’ project focusing on the blue economy, the ‘SESK Helpdesk’ project focusing on ESF+ European social economy development and many more.
ISEN provides some of the following areas of focus:
- Contributing to the Social Innovation Ecosystem
Network: Largest network of social enterprises for over 10 years in Ireland with experienced staff and board of practitioners.
Needs Analysis and Advice: Expertise in Social Inclusion/ Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs), serving as the Irish representative for ENSIE, and securing EU funding for WISE programs.
Local Enterprise Office Collaboration: Pioneering social enterprise-specific training, publishing the SocialEnterpriseToolkit.ie, and supporting Dublin City Social Enterprise Awards and SoCircular events.
- Market Opportunities
Development and Maintenance of BuySocial.ie: Running the Buy Social directory for the past seven years, enhancing market opportunities with public procurers and mainstream businesses for social enterprises.
- Capacity Building
Training and Workshops: Offering diverse training sessions on social enterprise topics including compatible and available legal types, funding, and finance.
Networking and Mentoring: Facilitating networking and discussions, and providing mentoring and coaching by qualified team members.
Event Hosting: Hosting prominent international events and adjudicating competitive awards.
- National and International Networking
Membership and Representation: Active membership in networks like DIESIS, Euclid, and Social Economy Europe, and participation in national social enterprise policy groups.
Governance and Sustainability
ISEN ensures robust governance and financial management, with a clear structure for reporting and compliance. We have substantial experience of managing and accounting for EU and Irish government funding. We are committed to promoting equality, human rights, and sustainable procurement practices in all our activities.
ISEN's decade-long expertise and comprehensive support for social enterprises position us as a valuable partner for the next stages of social enterprise. We look forward to contributing to the development and scaling of social enterprise in Ireland.
