Wyler: 'This is a process we don't want to rush'
The launch of the new social enterprise brand has been postponed until the new year.
The brand, or 'identifier', being developed from the social enterprise mark launched by south west network Rise in 2007, was due to be unveiled today - Social Enterprise Day.
However, the Social Enterprise Coalition, which is developing the brand along with Rise and the Office of the Third Sector, decided further discussions were needed to ensure it could reach its full potential.
Steve Wyler, chair of the identifier steering group and CEO of the Development Trusts Association, said he was very happy with the change in timetable.
'Social Enterprise Day was the initial target we set ourselves for a launch, but it was decided in later discussions that a launch in the early new year would give us more time to make it as high impact as possible,' he said.
'I'm very happy with the decision, as this is a process we don't want to rush. The design has been signed off and we are just finalising the criteria, which we want be as inclusive as possible, and setting up the infrastructure and other administrative processes to manage the awarding of the mark.'
Wyler added that he was excited about the launch of the mark as it would feed a demand that has been growing in the sector, and that was proven when the Rise mark was established.
'We have to be ambitious about social enterprise and aim for widespread visibility - we believe this new mark will help move social enterprise into the mainstream, where it belongs,' he said.
He also announced that Rise and SEC had officially entered into a joint venture to administer the mark.
Lucy Findlay, CEO of Rise, said: 'Rise looks forward to moving the social enterprise mark onto another level through the new company set up between SEC and Rise.
'I think that this creates an exciting and groundbreaking way forward for the sector and the beauty of it is that it plays to our mutual strengths - Rise's expertise and experience around assessment and SEC's marketing and communications capabilities.'
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Comments
Should not launch before the Worker Co-op Problem is resolved
Great news! The SEM is not ready for prime-time yet. There are still problems with worker co-ops, the dividend cap and mark-holder autonomy. Any "Social Enterprise" label which doesn't include all provably-functioning co-ops isn't worth the name. SEC should keep delaying the launch and encourage RISE to address those problems.
MJ Ray, a member of www.software.coop
'identifier' delay
Will be looking forward to seeing the high impact it has.
Matthew Finnegan
Sound Communication CIC
www.soundcommunication.org.uk