1. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
The Role of Regional and
Local Government as
Social Enterprise Enablers
Ted Fowler
Our People, Places and Practices
Bristol
Ἀθηνᾶ (Athena - wisdom of place)
φρόνησις (Phronesis – wisdom in practice)

2. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
Reviewing our Practices and Policies
o What do we want to achieve for our City: what values,
o What is our role, why do we want SE, is this value also more
widely delivered? Audit, grow impact
o Understand Scale, Opportunities, Barriers and Constraints
(and other small and medium sized businesses
development) and growth?
People - Skills - Capital - Markets - Leadership
o What is the best way of supporting sector development
across the City and wider area?
“Competitiveness, Confidence and Credibility in the
wider economy”
Enabling Change: To Achieve What?
Social Enterprise initiative 2020: SI-UK perspectiveAthens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres

3. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 The West of England recognised as a UK leader in social
enterprise with a high level of business activity.
 In 2012 there were over 600 social enterprises, employing
nearly 11,000 people, with a turnover of £378 million.
 thriving community scale and early stage enterprises and established
larger social businesses. Earlier measurement showed 3% growth above
GVA
 e.g. health, transport, learning, economic development, environmental
services, culture and FOOD
 Roles vis-a-vis public and private sectors develop and change:
innovation, public service delivery (esp. co-production),
inclusive economy, public benefit partners, niche and creativity
 Quite well networked: http://vimeo.com/80796929
Social Enterprise in (Bristol and the West of
England)

4. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 Bristol Pounds stick to Bristol, build community connections and
work for people not banks to create fairer, stronger, happier
local economy.
Love Bristol. Go Local.
 The Bristol Pound is the UK’s first city wide local currency, the
first to have electronic accounts managed by a regulated
financial institution, and the first that can be used to pay some
local taxes.
 The Bristol Pound the is run as a not-for-profit partnership
between the Bristol Pound Community Interest Company and
Bristol Credit Union.
bristolpound.org
Bristol Pound

5. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 Mainstream distribution, retail, food groups and
some manufacture / processing / packaging
 1971
 £12m pa - 6000 products
 1800 account holders and strategic partners
 85 coop members plus other staff (probation)
 Early loans from public sources then match
loan from social and private lenders
essential-trading.coop
Essential Trading

6. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 HHEAG - Practical mutual support in disadvantaged
community: family, small retail, group learning and
projects, walks
 Food Connections and Love Food festivals, Farmers
Markets, social cafes
 Bristol Guild of Urban Food Producers (collaboration and
innovation, quality, advice)
http://beaconfarms.co.uk/get-involved/urban-food-
producers/
 Retail, wholesale, vertical and horizontal integration and
collaboration(Severn Project, Real Economy Network,
Markets, community cafes)
Scale and ambition

7. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
A Spectrum, a Journey
 Grant – a good idea or just because (!)
 Commission / buy - Invest (SE in the market)
 Partnership: for systemic change (shared reputational
/ commercial / political / strategic risk)
Be clear about what you want, who and how: Some SE specific,
bring in other partners (Universities, commercial networks etc.)
Market Development and Consultation – the
leadership role in designing and enabling a better
society
Dynamic Partners

8. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 Start up measures: entrepreneurship, market
research, incubation, nursery commissioning
 Competitiveness – Performance - Quality
 Investment readiness, Technical aid
 Loan finance, Asset deals
 Supply chain and public asset development initiatives
 Innovation/business transformation funds
 Capital Infrastructure: incubators, pipes
 Sector Capacity Building – networks, quality
Supportive Actions

9. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 What is cute is not always good
 Complexity and competitive values and players
 Quality & Delivery
 Stewardship and expectations
 State Aid, competition what values / impact?
 Competing spend choices compliance and transparent
value for money – Audit impact
 Dependency behaviours – limiting exposure -
changing relationships – be smart!!
Triage along the journey: be challenging and honest!
Challenges and Expectations

10. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres

11. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 Clarify basis for public or social impact values
 Support initiative: economic and social behaviour
rather than business definition
 Investment Tax Relief(s)
 Partnership Finance (e.g. Social Impact Bonds)
 Programme design – e.g. EU Local Investment Funds
 Influence public and private bodies
 Encourage local ambition and public entreprenuership
National or Supranational

12. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 Ted Fowler: ourpeopleplacesandpractices@gmail.com
 Social Enterprise Works www.socialenterpriseworks.org
 Bristol City Council Policy: Deborah Kinghorn
deborah.kinghorn@bristol.gov.uk
 Bristol and Bath Social Enterprise Network
http://bbsen.groupsite.com/main/summary
 Bristol Food Policy Council: http://bristolfoodpolicycouncil.org/
and funky video: http://vimeo.com/80796929
 Social Enterprise UK http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk
 And another funky video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ68O2VvZH0
Further information

13. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
Thank you and any questions?

14. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
An introduction to Bristol
 The 7th largest City outside London with
a population of 432,500.
 Based in the West of England (total pop
nearly 1m includes Bath) and works
closely with our neighbouring areas
including through the Local Enterprise
Partnership (LEP).
 Highest level of economic productivity of
any English Core City, with skills in
Creative, Green, Engineering and
Financial Sectors.
 Strong City Leadership through our
Directly Elected Mayor.
 A spirit of independence and innovation.
 EU Green Capital 2015 and a Social
Enterprise City.

15. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
Supporting the development of social enterprise
ecosystem
 Recognise the role of local
regional government can play
 The legal and institutional
framework can support or
stifle innovation – define value
not form
 In a bubble? In the market?
 Economic rationale:
innovation & inclusion?
 What values, what impact,
why this?

16. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 Bristol Food Policy Council
 Strategic Body: Good Food Plan
 Bristol Food Network
 Community and businesses: projects e.g food
connections festival, get growing garden trail
 Bristol Green Capital 2015 – action groups
e.g. Food; New Economy; Resilience; Health
Kitchen on Prescription, Lets all Cook and Eat, Food
Cycle Pop Up, Urban Food Producers Guild
 http://vimeo.com/80796929
Our Sector Ecology

17. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 A reducing tax budget, reducing state role
 A growing populations, changing demographics
and expectations with increased pressure on
services.
 Poor economic capacity in some places
 Structuring support
Subsidy // Partnership // Investment
 Sponsorship? Barriers to entry for SE and
private sector
 State Aid.
Our Challenges

18. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 Edgy, innovative culture, independent
 City leadership, working for City not just local
authority
 EU and UK Government support including
legislative changes and national instruments
 Horizontal integration (consumer networks),
vertical (major customers, distribution)
 Food is great business – get it right: returning
customers and cashflow
Our Opportunities
Social Enterprise initiative 2020: SI-UK perspectiveAthens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres

19. Athens: Sustainable Food Systems in Urban Centres
 Improve supply chain: Market development
initiatives and supplier collaboration
 Product innovation support: grant programmes,
networks, Universities etc.
 Business resilience and growth support
 Loan Funds, investment readiness, leadership
 Asset Transfers
 Partnership programme approach: Social
Enterprise City;
In Practice - Local