From the Margins to the Mainstream: Unlocking a £400 Billion Social Value Opportunity for Britain’s Future

This week, I had the privilege of attending the House of Lords for the launch of two significant reports examining Social Enterprise,, procurement and the future of our economy. Sitting in that historic chamber, it became clear that the discussion was about far more than organisational structures, commissioning frameworks or public policy. It was about the kind of country we want to become.

This week I had the privilege of attending the House of Lords to hear the launch of two important reports on  procurement and the Future of our Economy. Sitting in that historic chamber, it struck me that the debate was about far more than organisational structures or commissioning frameworks. It was about the kind of country we want to be.

Lord Victor Adebowale’s speech was a rallying cry. He argued that Britain faces a choice: we can continue to support systems that reward extraction, short-termism and institutional inertia, or we can invest in organisations that create wealth, improve lives and keep value rooted in communities.

Social enterprises have spent decades proving that it is possible to combine commercial discipline with social purpose. They contribute hundreds of billions of pounds to our economy. They employ millions of people. They tackle inequality, create jobs, improve health and strengthen communities. They create jobs, tackle inequality, strengthen communities and deliver public services in ways that are relational, preventative and deeply rooted in place. Yet too often they are treated as interesting experiments rather than essential partners.

…Because this is bigger than social enterprise. It is about what kind of country we want to become. A country that extracts value or a country that creates value. A country that waits for problems to become crisis. Our country that invests in prevention and people. Country that concent

rates wealth and opportunity are one that shares both more and widely. Social enterprises have spent decades proving what works. The evidence is there. The innovation is there. The leadership is there. And the communities are ready. The only question that remains is whether policy and politics can catch up with practise.” Lord Victor Adebowale

The reports were created for the APPG for  Social Cooperative and Community Economy chaired by Patrick Hurley, MP.  His point was that social enterprises are much more than just businesses that address social problems. They are a window into more inclusive, socially just and thriving future.  But the reports highlighted a profound contradiction. Despite years of policy commitments to social value, our £400 billion procurement system still rewards what is easiest to count rather than what genuinely changes lives.  The report critiques the Themes, Outcomes and Measures (TOMS) Framework and the capacity constraints in local government which are driving even more risk aversion.  Organisations that invest in people and communities are frequently disadvantaged, while extractive models continue to flourish.

This debate could not be more relevant to early childhood education and care. Childcare is often spoken about as an economic enabler, helping parents return to work. Of course, it does that. But it is also social infrastructure. High-quality early education reduces inequality, supports family wellbeing, strengthens communities and creates opportunities that last a lifetime.

Yet Early Years faces exactly the same barriers identified in these reports. Funding rarely reflects the true cost of delivery. Procurement and commissioning often prioritise price over quality and long-term impact. Preventative, community-rooted provision struggles to compete with larger providers able to leverage scale and financial engineering.

At the same time, Alan Milburn’s stark findings about nearly one million young people being outside employment, education and training should concern us all. Apprenticeships have declined, entry-level jobs have contracted and the pathways into work have become increasingly fragile.

Again, social enterprises have something important to offer. Across the country, mission-led organisations are creating jobs, training opportunities and supportive workplaces that help people flourish. In Early Years, we know that apprenticeships can transform lives, create meaningful careers and build the workforce our children deserve.

What connected both reports for me was a simple but powerful idea: good growth does not happen by accident. If we want a fairer and more resilient society, we must deliberately invest in organisations that generate both economic and social value.

So, what should happen next?

First, government must create a genuinely level playing field for social enterprises, with fair access to procurement, capital and investment. Markets do not shape themselves. Government has both the authority and responsibility to intervene when markets fail to deliver quality, affordability and resilience. Through targeted incentives, patient capital and risk-sharing mechanisms, it can help mission-led organisations grow and rebalance markets that have become overly dependent on extractive models. If we want better outcomes, we need markets designed to create public value, not simply extract private profit.

Second, public policy must recognise that people-centred services such as childcare, social care and employment support cannot be procured as commodities.

Third, we need to invest in mission-led organisations that reinvest surpluses into communities rather than extracting value from them.

And finally, we must place early childhood education and care firmly within this conversation. Childcare is not a peripheral service. It is economic infrastructure, social infrastructure and community infrastructure all at once.

As Lord Adebowale asked, will these reports move the conversation from the margins to the mainstream? I hope they do. Because the evidence is there. The innovation is there. The leadership is there.

The question is whether policy and politics are finally ready to catch up with practice?

Report links:

https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/seuk-report/a-400bn-opportunity-unlocking-social-value-for-a-fairer-more-resilient-uk/?

https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/seuk-report/a-400bn-opportunity-unlocking-social-value-for-a-fairer-more-resilient-uk/?

Here is an episode of Peter Holbrook and Lord Victor Adebowale’s recently launched podcast series called What To Do About…?, where they invited me as a guest to discuss practical solutions to education (part 2).