Reflections from the Social Enterprise Summit Scotland 2026

03 Jul 2026

Tayside, Central and Fife

Impact
Social Sessions

Social Investment Scotland (SIS) had a fantastic day at the Social Enterprise Summit Scotland 2026 on 17 June. We were delighted to be a sponsor of this year's event and to support the Demystifying Social Investment panel alongside colleagues from across Scotland's social investment ecosystem.

Hosted by Social Enterprise Scotland, the Summit brought together 176 delegates from across Scotland's social enterprise ecosystem; founders, support organisations, policymakers and public sector partners; to explore the opportunities and challenges facing the sector. The discussions throughout the day reinforced the ambition, resilience and collaborative spirit that characterises Scotland's social enterprise movement.

Social Enterprises in the Spotlight

One of the highlights from the day was seeing several of Social Investment Scotland's customers featured in the Social Enterprise Spotlight sessions. Current customers Eat Sleep Ride and Flexible Childcare Services Scotland, alongside former customers The Resilience Learning Partnership, shared their experience with delegates, their varied focuses highlighting the breadth of impact being created by social enterprises across Scotland. Flexible Childcare Services Scotland shared an anecdote from one of their customers explaining how flexible childcare had changed her life and enabled her to set up her own business. Stories like these demonstrate the importance of patient, purposeful finance in helping social enterprises achieve broad impact.

Demystifying Social Investment

SIS supported the Demystifying Social Investment panel, which attracted a strong audience interested in learning more about finance options for social enterprises and charities. The session explored how social investment can be made clearer, more accessible and better aligned with the needs of purpose-led organisations. Bringing together different perspectives from across Scotland's social investment ecosystem, the discussion featured our own Chris Jamieson (Social Investment Scotland), Angie Lee (The Ventures Lab), Morven Lyon (Development Trust Association Scotland), Chris Holloway (Foundation Scotland) and Emily Macdonald (Firstport).

The panel hosted an open, practical and engaging conversation about the opportunities social investment can offer social enterprises and charities looking to grow their impact. They discussed common misconceptions about social investment, practical routes to finance, and highlighted the importance of ensuring organisations can access the right support at the right stage of their development. A strong theme raised through audience participation was the need to make funding conversations more approachable and transparent, helping organisations understand the range of options available to them.

Community Wealth Building and the Role of the NHS

Our team attended the breakout session, From Procurement to Community Wealth: Unlocking NHS Scotland's Buying Power, which explored how NHS Scotland's £4 billion annual procurement spend can be used to support community wealth building, wider social value and local economic development. Delegates heard how suppliers can access opportunities through Public Contracts Scotland, supported by guidance, training programmes and "Meet the Buyer" events, while community benefit requirements are increasingly embedded within contracts.

Real-world examples demonstrated routes for social enterprises to engage with the NHS. These included:

Kanzen for Life, a Dundee-based wellbeing charity, which received funding from NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation towards the development of a new wellbeing centre, illustrating how NHS-linked charitable funding can support preventative, community-based services.

Scran Academy, which operates a youth-led café within NHS Lothian's Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. The initiative provides employment, training and placements for young people and is expected to support more than 200 individuals over time.

The session reinforced that opportunities for social enterprises extend beyond traditional procurement and can include partnership working, grant funding and community-led approaches that deliver wider social outcomes.

Feminine Leadership, Inclusion and Sustainable Growth

Another thought-provoking breakout session focused on research from the Women in Social Entrepreneurship Collective examining feminine leadership perspectives and the transformative possibilities of having equal gender representation at all levels of an organisation. Discussions highlighted the importance of collaboration, intersectionality and diversity in building sustainable organisations and resilient workplaces, from both a financial and human perspective.

Looking Ahead

Across every session, a common theme emerged: Scotland's social enterprise sector continues to be a powerful force for positive change. Whether through investment, procurement, partnership working or community-led innovation, social enterprises are delivering solutions to some of the country's most pressing social, economic and environmental challenges. The Summit also featured a keynote contribution from Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Business and Fair Work, who spoke positively about the role of social enterprise and the Scottish Government's commitment to community wealth building.

A huge thank you to Social Enterprise Scotland for organising another excellent event, and to everyone who contributed their insights, ideas and energy throughout the day. Events like this are an important reminder of the strength and potential of Scotland's social enterprise community, and the impact that can be achieved when purposeful organisations, funders and public sector partners come together. Social Investment Scotland was represented by Chris Jamieson (Head of Investment Partnerships), Claudia Albrecht (Impact, Insights and Research Manager) and Louisa Shanks (Investment Manager).

If you'd like to learn more about social investment, and whether it could support your organisation's ambitions, we'd love to have a conversation. Contact us today.

Image Copyright: Open Aye