Roger Spear has been involved in a European network for
social enterprise: EMES established in 1996.
A subsequent project was a comparative study of social
enterprises in Europe, via EC funding FW4, 1997/8/9. This
multi-partnered project led to a book published in June 2001, by
Routledge: Social Enterprise in Europe, by Defourny and Borzaga.
This builds on the much earlier study on: Prospects for
Co-operatives in the Social Care area, funding from D.T.I. (Small Firms
Division), 1992-93, resulting in a publication on social co-ops in the
UK - 'Third Sector Care' by Spear, Leonetti & Thomas which
continues to be in demand.
The work of this network continues in a project funded
under Framework 5 by the EC: the Perse Project, on the Socio-Economic
Performance of Social Enterprises in the Field of Work-Integration
(2001-2004); 10 country study, funded by FW5, EC, 2001-3.
And the Elexies project: on Social Integration Enterprises
in Europe (2002-2003). See: http://www.emes.net