Debate: The Social Enterprise World Forum 2018

That the Parliament joins Scotland’s social enterprise community to welcome the Social Enterprise World Forum 2018 taking place on 12 to 14 September 2018 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre; congratulates the event’s organiser, CEIS, and all those involved in planning, delivering and supporting this three-day event, which will attract more than 1,400 delegates from across the world; recognises that this successful international event has its roots in Scotland with the inaugural event taking place in Edinburgh in 2008 with support from the Scottish Government and its enterprise agencies; notes the excellent partnership working across the public and third sectors over the last 10 years, which has established Scotland’s world-leading reputation for social enterprise; continues to support the ambitions of the Scottish Government and the social enterprise community as set out in Scotland’s Social Enterprise Strategy 2016-26 and accompanying action plan, Building A Sustainable Social Enterprise Sector In Scotland 2017-20, and looks forward to 2019, when the Scottish Government will again work collaboratively with the sector to conduct the third national census of social enterprise in Scotland to ensure that it continues to understand how social enterprise is growing, where further support is needed, and what evidence there is to demonstrate the impact of social enterprise on reducing inequality in Scotland.