Welcome to the Social Enterprise ecosystem in Singapore.
Do you want to make Social Enterprises a part of your company’s sustainability and social impact journey, then you have come to the right place!
Encouraging Partnerships
Between Corporates And SEs
raiSE advocates for corporates to explore new and innovative ways to contribute to the development of the social enterprise sector. SMEs and MNCs in Singapore who are looking for more sustainable ways of corporate social responsibility can opt to make social enterprise a big part of their ESG goals and sustainability reporting plans.
As there is a global shift in mindsets from a commitment to shareholders to a focus on stakeholders instead, the communities in which the Corporate operates in becomes the immediate demographic of focus. This transition coupled with the policies which mandate the reporting by listed companies of their sustainability practices and the worldwide emphasis on UN’s 17 sustainability development goals, puts Social Enterprises in a favorable position to support larger corporations in their endeavor to be #partofthegood.
Understanding Your Social Objectives And Targets
Source: Porter and Kramer (2006)
In the spectrum of support, Corporates will need to identify the depth of their involvement and social impact targets. From generic social impact outcomes like good citizenship to more strategic philanthropic objectives that harness the capabilities of their employees, Corporations are encouraged to consider how they can transform value-chain activities to benefit the society at large.
Defining Social Enterprises
raiSE defines social enterprises (SE) as a business entity set up with clear social goals where there is clear management intent and resources allocated to fulfil social gaps and needs.
Within the Social Enterprise ecosystem, traditional charities are focused on delivering social value and are not profit driven. SMEs and MNCs on the other hand are focused on delivering financial value with a responsive approach to addressing community needs through CSR programmes or better still inclusive hiring practices.
However, Social Enterprises have a double bottom line, building social impact into their core business models in order to achieve social impact alongside sustainable financial returns. They also exist across a variety of business sectors with different social impact focus.
Find out more about our Social Enterprise Members below
Discover Social Enterprises In Various Sectors
The simplest way to start being #partofthegood is to make a conscious effort to purchase from social enterprises! From Food & Beverage to Retail & Gifts, Events Management to Education & Training, our social enterprises offer a diverse range of products and services.
Food & Beverage
Retail & Gifts
Beauty, Health & Wellness
Community Engagement
Business Services
Home Services
Education & Training
Events Management
The following are some way that Corporations can consider, should they want to support Social Enterprises and include them as part of their sustainability journey.
Be Part Of The Social Enterprise Ecosystem
1. Support Social Enterprises Through raiSE’s Programmes
Join these programmes to learn more about social entrepreneurship or choose to channel CSR dollars towards the Social Enterprise Ecosystem. Increasingly, we see corporations seeking more sustainable initiatives to support in order to stretch their dollar. Social Enterprises provide just the right platform for that.
Did you know that businesses can incorporate social impact strategically into their business such that it can become a value creator instead of a cost center?
Did you know that Social Enterprises are businesses commit to a double bottom line of sustainable financial returns and intentional social impact creation?
This interactive and experiential programme is suitable for anyone who would like to know more.
2. Skill-based Volunteering
Empower our social entrepreneurs by sharing your experience and expertise through our capacity building programmes such as the raiSE Fellowship programme.
raiSE Fellows consists of group of experienced corporate professionals, successful entrepreneurs, and accomplished al service practitioners who want to give back to society by supporting Social Enterprises, helping to scale their impact through improved business models.
3. Provide Preferential Rates For Our Social Enterprises
Support Social Enterprises by providing them with exclusive benefits that help them keep costs low.
DBS Social Enterprise Package
Discounted HDB Rental Rates & Direct Allocation of Space
Save on Event Fees With Peatix
Discounted Insurance for Employees
Complimentary Legal Advice Session
Preferential Rates on HR Solutions
Brand Awareness and Increase Customer Acquisition
4. Integrate Social Enterprises Into
Your Operations Or Procure From Them
Meet Edible Garden City
Corporations like Marina Bay Sands, Capella Hotel, and Far East Organisation have engaged Edible Garden City (EGC) to build edible gardens for them. The RISE Herb Garden at Marina Bay Sands for example was EGC's first hotel project and has currently grown into a beautiful and inspiring edible garden with 21 planter boxes, 14 vertical grow systems, and two green walls, all using natural and organic farming methods. The garden showcases more than 50 varieties of edible plants including culinary herbs, edible flowers, and small fruit trees. Chefs and bartenders harvest the produce like fresh herbs daily.
Engage a SE as a vendor for your business needs. Here is a list of social enterprises with sustainable solutions that could be relevant and useful for your Corporation. Look through our BusinessForGood directory for a service or product you need. Email us if you would like to learn more!
5. Spin Off A Social Enterprise Subsidiary
Discover how your organisation can set up a subsidiary with a sustainable business model.
Meet Samsui Supplies & Services
Samsui Supplies & Services is a Social Enterprise Subsidiary of SGX listed Soup Restaurant Group Limited started in 2013 and is now synonymous with the group’s social responsibility initiatives. Samsui Supplies & Services has strategically built various ecosystems leveraging on the group’s expertise in food to do good. That includes the setting up of a central kitchen in Changi Prison to train inmates and a training facility for persons with special needs in Enabling village as well as the provision of up to 5,000 healthy home-cooked food to the under-served groups in Singapore.
Photo from the opening of the Samsui Supplies & Services Central Kitchen Facility at Changi Prison
6. Align Core Business Interests Through Investments/Acquisitions
Investing or acquiring a social enterprise would allow your corporation to achieve strategic alignment with your core business which achieving strong social impact at the same time.
Meet Jaga-Me
Jaga-Me received strategic investment from SGX-listed Alliance Healthcare Group Limited in January 2020. The acquisition would allow the Group to leverage Jaga-Me’s mobile health capabilities and scalable digital platform to support the delivery of holistic care to patients across their entire healthcare journey, spanning the workplace, clinic, hospital and home. Synergies between the Group and JagaMe will result in differentiated and cost-effective solutions for medical needs such as hospitalization, critical illness care, and chronic care - further strengthening the Group’s product portfolio and competitive advantage in an environment where patients are demanding higher levels of convenience and personalization through smartphone technology.
7. Set Up A Foundation To Deliver Support To The Social Enterprise Sector
Formerly known as the Development Bank of Singapore, DBS has a history of trailblazing as they contributed to the building of Singapore. Being purpose-driven is in their DNA, and DBS believes that businesses like theirs play a central role in contributing to a more sustainable and inclusive Asia. Social enterprises are businesses fired with a passion to shape a better future for their communities and deliver social value while remaining profitable.
This resonated with the team at DBS, and the DBS Foundation was born in 2014 with a sum of S$50 million to nurture and advocate for social enterprises, so they can make a greater impact in addressing the region’s evolving social needs and narrowing social inequality. Over the past 5 years, the DBS Foundation is proud to have reached out to more than 54,000 budding social entrepreneurs, nurtured over 300 social enterprises, and provided over S$5 million in grants to social enterprises across the region.
Left image: Alfie Othman (left), Chief Executive of the Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise, raiSE with Piyush Gupta, CEO of the DBS Bank Group, during their fireside chat on social enterprises, an event in the 2019 edition of the Temasek Trust Conversation. The event also included two panel discussions and a case study. PHOTO: TEMASEK TRUST
Right Image: DBS receiving the Social Enterprise Champion of the Year award at the President’s Challenge Social Enterprise Award 2019 for setting up of the DBS Foundation to nurture and advocate for Social Enterprises.
Want To Get Involved?
If you would like to learn more about how you can partner with us to provide support for our Social Enterprises, and to make them a part of your company’s sustainability journey, contact us today!