Social Enterprises, Benefit Corporations and Community Interest Companies: The UK Landscape

Abstract

The present chapter deals with the social enterprises’ landscape in the United Kingdom, with emphasis on certified B corps, benefit corporations and community interest companies (CIC). Although the United Kingdom has the reputation of a jurisdiction that supports the shareholder value maximisation paradigm, it has introduced special rules for social enterprises and has facilitated the development of benefit corporations and B corps. The UK experience may be significantly different from the United States’ one, but it can operate as a roadmap for countries that aim at becoming more inclusive in terms of corporate social responsibility and social purpose.