Earlier this year, the Vienna University of Economics & Business conducted a report, which maps out the current state of the social entrepreneurship network in Austria. The study identified 237 initiatives in the country, and interviewed 105 of them. It reveals that in addition to these, the Austrian social entrepreneurship network also includes eight organisations supporting social entrepreneurship initiatives, one of which is Impact Hub Vienna. These organisations not only support and connect social initiatives but are also closely connected to one another and often organise common events or initiate common projects.
The study reports that the most important areas of activity for the social enterprise initiatives in Austria are education, regional or local development projects, (re)integration in the labor market, projects in developing countries as well as those with a focus on environmental protection. Typical target groups include children and youth, sustainable consumers, people from developing countries, as well as the general public. The study further identifies their financial resources (average annual budget of 30,000 EUR), as well as the ways social enterprises differentiate themselves from NPOs through financial independence, legal form as well as the image of the social entrepreneur.
The report concludes that the Austrian social enterprise network is heterogeneous in terms of both areas of activity and understanding of social entrepreneurship.
We are humbled to see the visual representation of our efforts and are looking forward to staying true to our journey of enabling collaboration in the sector.
Interested in connecting with us? Let’s meet at one of our Info Evenings, or drop by the Impact Hub Vienna @ WU pop-up space on November 15.
“In my courses on social entrepreneurship it is essential for me not only to talk about start-ups but to build connections to real life action. Impact Hub as a place and community provides such a tangible, living pool of examples. More than any guest speaker or case study ever could, it speaks to participants in a quiet way: ‘social entrepreneurship is real, it can be done, and you could do it too. In fact, the guy with the headphones right behind you is doing it’.”
– Peter Vandor, WU Vienna, Social Impact Award