Phase 1 · Discovery · Clarity Begins Here
Social Enterprise Setup & Structure
The social enterprise is not a charity that charges or a business that feels bad about profit. It is a commercial model where the social mission and the commercial sustainability reinforce each other.
Social enterprise setup and structure is the design and establishment of the legal form, the governance, and the commercial model that enables a business to pursue a social or environmental mission while generating the revenue and financial sustainability that makes the mission deliverable beyond the next grant cycle. We design the structure that makes the social enterprise commercially viable and mission-credible.
The Pain We Solve
You may recognise yourself in one of these.
Three audience scenarios · because the same service produces a different transformation depending on where you are in the business journey.
Scenario 1
The founder with a social mission who does not know which legal structure — CIC, charity, co-operative, or trading limited company — best serves the mission and the commercial model
The mission is clear. The commercial model is emerging. And the legal structure has not been determined because the founder does not know the differences between the options, their implications for fundraising, profit distribution, and governance, or which is most appropriate for the specific mission and model.
Scenario 2
The charity that wants to develop a trading arm to reduce its dependence on grants but is uncertain how to structure the commercial activity alongside the charitable purpose
Grant funding is declining. The charity needs earned income. The trading activity that could generate it needs to be structured in a way that protects the charitable status, complies with the Charity Commission's requirements, and enables the commercial arm to operate with the flexibility a trading business needs.
Scenario 3
The business that wants to restructure as a social enterprise to reflect its values and access the market and talent advantages that social enterprise status provides
The business has always operated with a social purpose — it just has never formalised it. The competitive advantages of formalising — access to social enterprise procurement frameworks, values-aligned talent, and impact investment — are clear, but the restructuring pathway is not.
The Impact It Creates
The Moment You Will Feel the Difference.
Legal structure selected and established — appropriate for the mission and the commercial model
Governance designed — board composition, decision-making, and mission protection
Commercial model designed — revenue streams that fund the mission sustainably
Social enterprise status formalised — enabling access to procurement frameworks and impact investment
What You Receive
The Specific Deliverables.
Tangible outputs · documented, dated, and yours to keep.
- Legal structure assessment and recommendation
- Articles of association or CIC memorandum
- Governance framework — board structure and decision-making
- Commercial model design — revenue streams and financial sustainability
- Mission lock and asset lock provisions
- Social enterprise registration and establishment
The Outcome
Where You Will Be on the Other Side.
The social enterprise is established with the legal structure, governance, and commercial model that makes the mission deliverable and the organisation financially sustainable — neither a charity struggling to fund its mission nor a business uncertain of its purpose.
Primary Focus
Establishing the social enterprise with the legal structure, governance, and commercial model that makes the mission deliverable and the organisation financially sustainable.
KPI Measurement
- Legal structure established within timeline
- Governance framework operational at launch
- Revenue diversification from earned income
- Social enterprise accreditation achieved
- Mission clarity score from stakeholders
Investment & ROI
Pricing Engineered Around the Value You Create.
Every engagement is sized against the value we believe we can create with you · the fee is always a fraction of the outcome. Four tiers · so the investment matches your stage of business.
Tier 1
Foundations
£5,000 – £15,000
Right for
Pre-startup, startup, and micro-business founders ready to build on evidence rather than instinct.
Typical Value Created
£50K – £500K avoided in misdirected launches and bad bets
Engagement
4 – 8 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 2
Acceleration
£15,000 – £50,000
Right for
Growing SMEs and established small businesses ready to scale a working model into the next revenue band.
Typical Value Created
£250K – £2M of better-informed launch decisions and faster market traction
Engagement
8 – 16 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 3
Transformation
£50,000 – £250,000
Right for
Medium enterprises and scale-stage businesses ready to commit to a multi-quarter, organisation-wide shift.
Typical Value Created
£1M – £25M in strategic pivots de-risked and new categories validated
Engagement
3 – 9 months
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 4
Enterprise
£250,000 – £2M+
Right for
Large enterprises, global operators, and complex organisations ready for a multi-year strategic partnership.
Typical Value Created
£5M – £100M+ in optimised market entry, M&A diligence, and category positioning
Engagement
12 months and onward
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Why We Price This Way
Every engagement is sized around the value we believe we can create with you. The fee is always a fraction of the outcome · typically 10 – 20% of the expected first-year return.
This is how we make sure pricing aligns with results. The conversation is never “what does this cost?” · it is always “what is this worth to your business?” We answer that together in the first call, transparently, and decide the right tier from there.
If we cannot articulate a credible 5–10× return for your specific situation, we will tell you in the first call. That honesty is part of why our clients trust us with the work that matters most.
Why This Conversation Matters
“The social enterprise done well is one of the most powerful business models available — purpose as a competitive advantage, mission as a talent magnet, and commercial success as the engine that makes the impact sustainable. We design the structure that makes all three work together.”
A 90-minute structured strategy session · produces a usable roadmap whether you engage further or not.
More in Phase 1