Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland (SEND)

The Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland (SEND e.V.) is a non-profit registered association based in Berlin, founded in 2017. As an interest group for the German social entrepreneurship sector, SEND serves as a central platform for networking, political representation, and visibility of social enterprises in Germany.

The main mission of SEND is to connect social enterprises, represent their interests to politics, and promote their visibility in the public sphere. Social Entrepreneurs aim to overcome social and ecological challenges through innovative, entrepreneurial solutions. The focus is not primarily on financial returns, but on creating positive social impact[2][4].

• Networking: SEND promotes exchange and collaboration among social enterprises through regional groups, workshops, and events.
• Advocacy: The association advocates for improving the framework conditions for social enterprises in Germany and represents their interests in the political arena.
• Visibility: SEND increases the public perception of social enterprises and their solutions.
• Building Bridges: The association establishes collaborations with actors from civil society, politics, traditional business, and welfare[2].

• German Social Entrepreneurship Monitor (DSEM): Since 2018, SEND has published the DSEM, a comprehensive study on the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Germany, which is now part of the European Social Enterprise Monitor[1].
• Buy Social Deutschland: In collaboration with SAP, SEND supports social enterprises and conventional companies in establishing partnerships in supply chains to create social and ecological value[1][2].
• Buy Social Europe B2B: A consortium of 23 partners from 17 countries aimed at promoting trade partnerships between traditional and social enterprises in Europe[2].
• emp:our now: A project aimed at making the social entrepreneurship sector more diverse and inclusive[2].

SEND has developed a definition for social entrepreneurship in collaboration with the Technical University of Berlin: "The primary goal of social entrepreneurship is to solve social challenges through the continuous use of entrepreneurial means and the development of new, innovative solutions. Controlling and monitoring mechanisms ensure that social goals are lived both internally and externally"[1].

The association is funded through membership fees, collaborations, funding projects, and funding partners such as the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, Samsung, the KfW Foundation, and the Schöpflin Foundation. SEND has a voluntary board that is elected every two years and has over 800 members, including innovative social enterprises, social start-ups, and committed social entrepreneurs[1][3].

Through its comprehensive work and various initiatives, SEND significantly contributes to the promotion and strengthening of the social entrepreneurship sector in Germany and makes an important contribution to solving social and ecological challenges.

• 1 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Entrepreneurship_Netzwerk_Deutschland
• 2 - https://www.send-ev.de
• 3 - https://www.send-ev.de/netzwerk/mitglieder/
• 4 - https://www.civic-innovation.de/ueber-uns/unsere-kooperationspartnerinnen/social-entrepreneurship-netzwerks-deutschland-send-ev
• 5 - https://www.send-ev.de/startseite/ueber-uns/