Resources
Discover tools, resources and research from across our work to support your organisation to learn, plan and develop.
Video guides
Scottish Enterprise, in partnership with Bold Studio and Social Enterprise Scotland (SES) have created two animations that help explain what a social enterprise is, how to identify one and their importance to the Scottish economy.
Tools and resources
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Growing Climate Confidence
We're a key partner of Growing Climate Confidence, a programme of support for third sector organisations in Scotland to help them reduce carbon emissions, take positive climate action and become more resilient.
Community Wealth Building Toolkit
We partnered with Creative Scotland to create the Community Wealth Building Toolkit. A comprehensive, interactive resource providing practical support for creative organisations to lead in building resilient, inclusive local economies.
Social Enterprise Support Map
The Social Enterprise Support Map is a free online tool developed by Bold Studio and Community Enterprise to help third sector groups and social enterprises navigate free and subsidised support across Scotland.
Research and insights
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Cold Spot Research
This study explores Scotland's 'cold spots' in community-led activity, using national data and local case studies to understand patterns of low engagement. It highlights underlying factors and offers insights into how opportunities can be unlocked in underrepresented areas.
Community Led Tourism
Community Enterprise, in partnership with One Planet Consulting, undertook a scoping study of community-led tourism in Scotland, on behalf of SENScot. This piece of work gathers a mix of examples of Community Led Tourism projects to illustrate the breadth and diversity of this offer and to explore common themes. The study is cognisant of the current policy landscape and trends, gives an overview of the variety of organisations and their impacts.
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Hagshaw Cluster and the Circular Economy
The Hagshaw Energy Cluster is an established strategic location for large-scale renewable energy projects on the East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire border. Community Enterprise worked with Zero Waste Scotland to explore how circular economy opportunities could be embedded locally and for the benefit of the communities surrounding the Hagshaw area.
East Ayrshire Resilience
In 2022, Community Enterprise supported a consortia of East Ayrshire community anchor organisations, funded by the CORRA Foundation and Scottish Government, to come together to identify the impact of the pandemic on people in their communities and identify the best way to support people to recover and thrive. This research was created by undertaking face to face surveys, conducted by specially trained local volunteers and staff in the partner organisations, achieving strong results, with over 6000 comments from over 2000 respondents.
The Range, Nature and Applicability of Funding Models to Support Community Land Ownership
Community Enterprise worked with Duncan MacPherson and Faye Macleod on this research commissioned by the Scottish Land Commission (SLC) to identify, explore and consider the implications of emerging sources of finance that are complementary to the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) for the purchase of community assets. The study built on previous work and looked at the strategic use, alignment and leverage of other finance sources of capital funding (including natural capital and green finance), and what the implications are for communities, government and the Scottish Land Fund.
Big Lottery Asset Ownership Research
The Big Lottery Fund in Scotland commissioned Community Enterprise and the Scottish Community Development Centre to undertake a piece of national research to review the efficacy of the Fund's investment in community asset ownership and development. The fund has made a political decision to fund asset ownership based on the assumption that this model will empower communities and release greater impact. This research was aimed at testing this hypothesis with community organisations across Scotland over a 10 year period. These ranged from rural to urban, and areas of high and low relative deprivation. The research involved undertaking a national survey, stakeholder interviews, detailed case studies, an in-depth financial audit and a co-enquiry event.
Social Prescribing
Community Enterprise worked with the Scottish Community Development Centre on the research and thinking period for the Social Prescribing Project across Scotland and the North of Ireland, supporting them to secure in-depth knowledge about community led health and social prescribing from literature review to primary research. This also involved designing a bespoke and highly complex impact assessment tool involving the patient, the referring health professional and the community support provider. That system was embedded within a £250,000 piece of software that will track change to individuals and savings to the NHS over time which will be a tool to stimulate systems change.
Different Approach to Community Led Asset Development
This research paper responds to recent changes in community asset development and the challenges community organisations face in establishing sustainable and effective assets. In partnership with the William Grant Foundation, Community Enterprise researched and scoped out new models of innovative approaches to achieve these goals. Over a 6-month period, Community Enterprise undertook a range of stakeholder interviews and case studies across Scotland and the UK, including discussing the issue with over 50 key national stakeholders at a summit event. This work was acknowledged as showing a direction of travel for a sector facing challenges.