GSEP Work

GSEP has set out a number of aims which were identified through consultation with representatives of partner agencies including public bodies, funders, support and infrastructure agencies and representatives of the city's social economy

These aims are to:

  • Support social economy organisations towards sustainability
  • Encourage partnership working between agencies at a city wide level
  • Support the development of existing local networks and encourage the development of new ones as appropriate
  • Seek to maximise resources to develop the city's social economy
  • Support the Local Economic Forum and its partners in the promotion of the social economy in Glasgow

In practice the GSEP will achieve these objectives through a series of actions agreed in its work plan. These actions will be implemented during late 2007 and early 2008 and will be to:

  • Conduct extensive research into the nature, quality and extent of support services to the social economy across the city, and make recommendations for addressing gaps in provision, avoiding duplication and promoting joint initiaves to support the growth of the sector
  • Support social economy organisations to explore the opportunities presented through clustering, business partnerships and consortium working in winning contracts
  • Host events around specific areas of opportunity for the sector, such as Trade Fairs and Meet the Buyer sessions to promote Procurement and Commissioning, and to give Glasgow's social economy the opportunity to 'showcase' its services
  • Through the development of this website, act as a central hub for information on, and links to, developments, events, training, seminars etc. of interest to Glasgow's social economy
  • Work with partners to secure the provision of co-ordinated support services across the sector, including business growth support to social enterprises and social economy organisations and capacity building support to voluntary and community organisations
  • Promote joint working of the social economy with Glasgow's business community through business to business contracts, commissioning of services, and joint corporate social responsibility initiatives
  • Promote Best Value and Equalities across all of the work undertaken by partners in support of the social economy
  • Commission research into the specific support needs for developing social enterprises in the ME communities and other equalities networks such as disability, women, and the LGBT community
  • Commission research into identifying appropriate and acceptable quality standards for service delivery across the sectror
  • Promote the sector as a major deliverer of public services across the city