Collecting Data on Social Enterprises 2025

Conclusion Collecting data through surveys is a crucial step in understanding the social enterprise landscape, shaping policy and informing investment and support strategies. However, as highlighted throughout this playbook, surveys alone cannot fully capture the complexity and diversity of social enterprises worldwide. The work of the Advisory Group on Social Enterprise Data has provided valuable insights into current methodologies, their limitations and the gaps that remain. Looking ahead, there is an opportunity to create a more comprehensive, interconnected and sustainable data system that enhances the availability and accuracy of social enterprise data globally. To this end, the advisory group issues several recommendations: –Enhancing engagement and participation: To encourage wider participation, the data collection process should provide tangible value to respondents. This could include benchmarking feedback, certification incentives or integration with initiatives such as People and Planet First. A user-friendly platform where social enterprises can update and manage their own data could improve accuracy and long-term engagement. At the same time, partnerships with national and sub-national networks would ensure that social enterprises are connected to data initiatives that align with their geographical and thematic priorities. –Strengthening governance and global oversight: A truly global approach to social enterprise data collection requires inclusive governance with representation from all regions, particularly under-represented areas such as the Middle East and South America. A Global Social Enterprise Observatory could serve as a neutral, multistakeholder entity, ensuring that data is collectively owned by the global community rather than any single government, university or organization. This would align the interests of social enterprises, national networks, governments, funders and researchers, fostering collaboration and shared ownership of data resources. –Ensuring transparency and accessibility: A more open and equitable approach to data sharing could be achieved through open-source resources that distinguish between public and private data while maintaining strict privacy protections. Adherence to frameworks such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) would be essential, particularly in relation to crowdsourced monitoring and anonymity safeguards. Transparent processes for data collection, analysis and reporting would build trust and enhance the credibility of social enterprise data worldwide. –Data inputs: An integrated data platform or sector-wide protocols for data exchange could reduce the burden on social enterprises by integrating multiple data sources, including survey insights, network data, government records and public domain information. This would allow for a more seamless and interoperable approach, minimizing redundancy and ensuring more holistic data collection. While technological advancements, such as AI, may facilitate data integration, practical challenges remain, particularly in regions with high informality and limited digital access. –Sustaining the initiative through funding and investment: For such a data system to be viable in the long term, a sustainable financial model must be developed. Global networks, investors and institutions could play a pivotal role in funding and supporting this initiative. A mix of public, private and philanthropic funding sources would ensure that research continues, particularly in countries where data on social enterprise remains scarce. Ultimately, sector-wide harmonization, exchange and even integration of data collection has the potential to enable significant improvements for social enterprises and the communities they serve. Such an initiative may provide more accurate, real-time and representative data that can inform government policies, create better visibility for social enterprises, create efficiencies for deal sourcing among investors and support overall sector development through insights, benchmarks and standardization. By addressing existing gaps in equitable ways and adopting a more collaborative, technology-driven and inclusive approach, the global social enterprise community can work towards a future where data contributes to meaningful change.Harmonizing, exchanging or even integrating data collection can significantly enhance outcomes for social enterprises and the communities they support. Collecting Data on Social Enterprises: A Playbook for Practitioners 19