Social Firms UK

The Social Franchising Manual follows on from the 'Growing social enterprise' research findings, providing a how-to guide which includes a general introduction to social franchising - the use of a commercial franchising approach to replicate and share proven organisational models for greater social impact - and practical advice on how to franchise a social enterprise. It is primarily aimed at those thinking of franchising their organisational model (potential franchisors) but will be of use and relevance to a broader audience, including individuals who want to set up a franchise of an existing, successful social enterprise.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report attempts to answer the question: how can social enterprises successfully replicate their organisations? It examines the various replication journeys open to social enterprises. By exploring real-life examples of replication, it seeks to shed light on the critical obstacles and success factors, and assess the value of each replication model for different forms of social enterprise.

The research was based on a series of qualitative, in-depth interviews with 22 organisations. The research questions considered the context and scale of each organisation, as well as its motivations for growth. The respondents were asked about their specific experiences of replication, including support and training received, any impact on their core social objectives, and the extent to which they have connected with other social enterprises following similar paths.