Powering Communities. Shaping Policy. Building Partnerships.
The York Festival of Social Enterprise brings together the city’s communities, businesses, and institutions with social enterprise at the heart, recognising the unique role social enterprises play in tackling deep-rooted challenges, creating inclusive opportunity, and building stronger, fairer local economies.
At its core, the Festival is about community. It’s about raising the visibility of social enterprise, forming meaningful partnerships, and influencing regional, place-based policy that puts people first. By connecting diverse voices from across York and North Yorkshire, we will amplify the transformative power of social enterprise - from grassroots initiatives to city-wide collaboration.
The Festival of Social Enterprise is about action, not just awareness. It’s about recognising the power of community-led innovation and creating the conditions for it to thrive. Together, let’s build a York that works for everyone.
Festival Dates
Skills Day - Friday 24th October – The Milner, York
A day focused on practical skills, enterprise learning, and social impact training.
Partnerships Day - Monday 3rd November – Priory Street, York
Discover how collaboration can unlock new opportunities for your organisation.
This two-hour interactive session will:
🔹 Connect you with potential customers in “Meet the Buyer” 1:1 sessions
🔹 Share insights from corporate partners on successful collaborations
🔹 Offer practical strategies for building strong, sustainable relationships
Policy Day - Friday 7th November – Priory Street, York
Exploring how social enterprises can shape people-first, place-based policy.
More details and speaker announcements will follow soon – stay tuned!
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This event is part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science via the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account [grant number ES/X00435X/1]. The ESRC Festival of Social Science is an annual celebration of the social sciences and a key element of ESRC’s commitment to promote awareness of UK social science research to new audiences.