In this section you will find information about research around social entrepreneurship.
Research and reports
Best Practice Examples in Rural NPA areas
What are the biggest challenges for rural social enterprises and what are their top tips for success? In the following report from the Interreg NPA project, MERSE, you can read about Best Practice Examples and learn more about how social enterprises run their businesses in Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. You will learn about what kind of support has been important to them and in which areas they feel they need more support. Download the study paper Best Practice Examples in Rural NPA areas (pdf)
Business Models for rural social enterprises
An output of the MERSE project, was a new business model canvas for social enterprises. In this report, written by Cecilia Dalborg at the Mid Sweden University, you can read about the development of this model. Go to report: Business Models for rural social enterprises (PDF)
To measure the immeasurable or communicate the measurable?
Research article published in 2026 by Cecilia Dalborg at Mid Sweden University. The lack of clarity regarding the benefits generated by social enterprises is widely assumed to constrain their potential. Consequently, social impact measurement has emerged as a central concern within the field of social entrepreneurship. Despite the proliferation of models and frameworks, adoption remains limited, largely due to their complexity. The purpose of this paper is to examine persistent challenges associated with social impact measurement and to propose a new approach that enables small social enterprises to strengthen their management practices to secure funding, enhance social impact and ensure long term sustainability . The empirical foundation comprises two data collections conducted six years apart, encompassing 114 social enterprises across five countries. Go to article To measure the immeasurable – or communicate the measurable? (link to emerald.com)
The topic was also presented as an abstract for the 10th EMES Conferences Scaling Through Communities: The role of Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprises in Boosting Societal Transitions. Download the abstract To measure the immeasurable or communicate the measurable? (pdf)
Transnational Knowledge Report of the Conditions for Rural Social Enterprises in NPA Regions 2025
Comparison between Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Report by Yvonne von Friedrichs and Cecilia Dalborg, made for the Interreg NPA project, MERSE. Download the report Transnational knowledge report of the conditions for rural social enterprises in NPA region Region 2025 (pfd).
What do we know about social entrepreneurship in rural areas?
A literature review of previous research in Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden, made by the MERSE project. Download the study paper What do we know about social entrepreneurship in rural areas? (pdf)
Nordic research conference Nordic Ruralities
On December 3–5, 2024, Uppdrag Landsbygd organized the Nordic research conference Nordic Ruralities. The conference took place at the Aurora Kultur och Kongress facility in Kiruna. At the event Yvonne von Friedrichs and Cecilia Dalborg presented the paper ‘Social enterprises as enablers in rural areas? Download the presentation and abstract Nordic research conference Nordic Ruralities (pdf)
Relevant research and reports from others
Social Enterprise Journal “Social Enterprise Journal is the first journal to focus specifically on the social enterprise aspect of entrepreneurial activity. It encourages interdisciplinary and critical studies of social enterprise to deepen our understanding of social enterprise and social entrepreneurship.”
Rural Entrepreneurship in the Baltic Sea Region: “The key role of entrepreneurship and innovation for economic and regional development is now considered a “stylized fact” in science and politics. What is new, however, is the diversity of social challenges and the complexity of the problems, e.g., sustainable climate protection, coping with the consequences of demographic change, changing values in society, and the challenges of the Corona pandemic. Social entrepreneurs in particular are seen as pioneers of change, with the potential to develop new, innovative solutions to social challenges using entrepreneurial means. This is especially true for rural-peripheral regions, which are in a permanent structural crisis and have to cope with special challenges. However, the spatial perspective is hardly found in research on “social entrepreneurs” and “social entrepreneurship” so far.” Read more on the web page of Universität Greifswald
