Dublin-based Speedpak Group has been nominated as one of Acumen’s 100 Corporate-Ready Social Enterprises.
The list, and accompanying survey-based report Corporate-Ready—How Corporations and Social Enterprises do Business Together to Drive Impact was created by international nonprofit impact investment fund Acumen. It showcases a diverse collection of established social enterprises, from a range of industries, that are ready to partner, collaborate and do business with corporations.
The report points out that “corporations, large and small, play a key role in creating a fairer and more equal world” and that “all sectors need to work together on our most pressing issues for a sustainable future. It continues: “engaging with social entrepreneurs that develop scalable business models to address social challenges can accelerate those efforts.”
The report dispels misconceptions about social enterprises relating to size, capabilities and capacity while case studies draw attention to successful partnering, illustrating how barriers between stakeholders can be overcome.
A key finding from the survey was that social enterprises have significant social impact that is aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] and that they can “deliver concrete and measurable progress on corporate sustainability targets”.
The report was supported by IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, and developed in collaboration with members of the World Economic Forum’s COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs. The social enterprises featured were chosen because they are already selling to corporations and offering direct benefit to marginalised groups.