RBS SE100 Index for social ventures goes digital: Now open for 2013

Isabelle de Grave
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An index designed to track growth and impact in the social economy offers new possibilities for social sector organisations to monitor and showcase performance via an online data platform
 
The leading market intelligence tool for social ventures, the RBS SE100 Index, today announces a major new development – with the launch of a live, online market intelligence platform allowing socially innovative organisations to track their growth and impact.
 
The RBS SE100 Index is a listing of social ventures, ranked and scored according to their growth and social impact, which promises to open a window onto a diverse ecosystem of organisations driving towards social impact, sustainability and scale. 
 
The new data platform will give organisations the ability to chart their progress and compare themselves with peers. It will also provide a substantial data resource for investors, commissioners and policymakers as they seek to build knowledge and understanding of the landscape of the social economy.
 
Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, commented: "Social enterprises are delivering positive social change all over the UK and this new online tool will help all of us involved to understand the full impact of this valuable work." 
 
The index rankings and statistics will develop and change continually, from month to month and year to year, as more organisations submit their latest annual data.
 
The initiative states that it will "put the facts and figures behind the great stories of socially enterprising organisations across the UK” on the RBS SE100 website, which features a 2 minute animation introducing organisations to the platform.
 
 
Designed by social innovation company Matter&Co, the RBS SE100 Index has been developed in partnership with RBS, who have supported the initiative since its creation four years ago. This year’s development marks an exciting collaboration with RBS Inspiring Enterprise, as RBS builds on its legacy to strengthen the social enterprise sector.
 
Duncan Sloan, RBS head of community banking, said: "We are pleased to have been partnering with the Index since it began and this year’s development marks a significant and exciting opportunity to build greater understanding and greater support for social enterprises across the UK.”
 
Previously created as a survey and a printed annual data report, the metamorphosis of the RBS SE100 Index into a live web platform will make it easier for organisations to submit and update their data, and provide year-round access to up-to-date figures about the social economy. 
 
Tim West, director at Matter&Co, said: “Thanks to the support of RBS, this year marks a step change in the RBS SE100 Index, from being the UK’s leading survey of growth and social impact – to the creation of a live market intelligence platform through which thousands of inspiring organisations can track the key facts and figures behind their phenomenal stories of social enterprise.”
 
Top performing social enterprises that enter their data on www.se100.net will share a £25,000 prize fund that will be awarded at the RBS SE100 Annual Awards in November 2013. Sustainable growth and social impact will be rewarded and a trailblazing newcomer will also be identified from entrants. 
 
For enterprising charities, CICs, social enterprises, co-ops, housing associations, and other organisations taking enterprising approaches to social change, the RBS SE100 represents a significant opportunity both to showcase their individual success and to help quantify and demonstrate the strength of the social venture sector.
 
Nick Hurd Minister for Civil Society, continued: "The UK is a world-leader in social investment, the RBS SE100 will be an excellent resource for both policy-makers and social investors as they seek to identify opportunities to support and finance growth in this vibrant sector."
 
By entering their data, organisations can create confidential comparative reports of their own performance, benchmarked against others in their region or sector. Organisations will be able to choose to share their detailed report with selected third parties such as commissioners or investors.