SELECT - A new programme for social enterprises
Way back in October 2024, Fiona Descoteaux and I met for a coffee out in Blanchardstown. We actually didn’t know each other super well, but with the sector being so small we had crossed paths previously. A 3-hour coffee later, we had decided we were kindred spirits and wanted to work on something special together for the social enterprise sector and so the ‘Built to Scale’ consortium was born. We really believed, and still believe that our on the ground practical experience of running social enterprises and the complimentary skills we had developed along the way could lead to something really transformative for the sector. And now…we get to do that. In partnership with InterTrade Ireland, SELECT is a new all-island social enterprise programme.
SELECT: Social Enterprise Leadership, Economic and Commercialisation Training, is a 9-month hands on programme for 10 social enterprises across the island of Ireland (6 from the Republic, 4 from Northern Ireland). The programme brings together a core learning curriculum, one-to-one leadership coaching, and bespoke business hands-on consultancy. Along with Fiona and I, experienced leadership coaches Sarah Lennon and Aoife Lee are ready to help build your social enterprise to scale. The programme is designed specifically for social enterprise CEOs and senior leaders who are ready to strengthen their commercial capability, not at the expense of their mission, but in service of it.
Anyone who works in the social enterprise sector in Ireland knows this tension well, you're running a mission-driven organisation, but you're also running a business. And for too many social enterprises, the business side, pricing, financial systems, revenue diversification, governance doesn't get the attention it needs. Not because leaders don't care about it, but because they're stretched thin and the supports available haven't always been tailored to the hybrid reality of social enterprise.
My PhD research, kept surfacing the same patterns. Social enterprises were attempting to scale without the financial infrastructure to sustain it, boards weren't equipped to govern hybrid organisations, leaders were making pricing decisions based on instinct rather than data. And the ecosystem, while growing, wasn't always offering the right support at the right time. The 2025 Northern Ireland Social Enterprise Sector Report reinforced this, 67% of social enterprises identified finance as a barrier to scaling, and 32% pointed to skills gaps. These aren't new findings - somewhat disappointing to know my PhD hasn’t unearthed a life altering finding! but they are evidence-based, persistent ones.
InterTrade Ireland had seen a gap for this kind of programme and designed SELECT to address exactly this. It's not a generic business programme with a social enterprise label stuck on. Every element, from the curriculum to the coaching to the hands-on consultancy, is built around the specific challenges that social enterprise leaders face when trying to grow commercially while protecting their social mission.
The core curriculum includes seven modules, delivered over the programme period through a blend of in-person residentials and online workshops. The topics cover the areas that, in my experience, social enterprises most need to get right if they want to scale sustainably:
Foundations for Commercialisation: Understanding where your social enterprise sits on the hybridity continuum and what that means for your pricing, positioning, and scaling strategy.
Strategic Development and Business Model Innovation: Revenue diversification, reducing grant dependency, if appropriate, and building a three-year commercial strategy. For many participants, this may be the first time they've systematically mapped their income streams and stress-tested their model.
Change Management for Commercial Scaling: Leading organisational change in hybrid structures, building commercial culture without losing mission integrity, and getting your board ready for scaling.
Financial Systems and Pricing for Sustainability: Installing proper cost-control and cash-flow systems, developing pricing strategies that reflect real costs and market value, and building financial dashboards for better decision-making. This is where my accountancy background comes in particularly handy.
Digital Marketing, Communications and Cross-Border Visibility: Strategic marketing for hybrid organisations, digital tools, and a dedicated focus on cross-border market entry.
AI for Social Enterprise: Practical applications and limitations of AI for organisations with limited capacity.
Governance, Leadership and Succession Planning: Board development, accountability structures, and planning for leadership continuity.
Beyond the curriculum, each participating enterprise receives one-to-one leadership coaching for their CEO and bespoke hands-on consultancy with Fiona and I. The programme opens and closes with in person sessions, which will be high-impact, tailored sessions.
One of the things that makes SELECT distinctive is its all-island focus. Social enterprises in the Republic and Northern Ireland operate in different regulatory, funding, and policy environments, but they share many of the same challenges. The programme creates a structured space for peer learning across both jurisdictions, and includes dedicated content on cross-border trade, something that's very much underexplored in the social enterprise space.
For social enterprises that haven't yet considered selling their products or services across the border, SELECT is designed to open that door. For those already doing it, the programme will help strengthen and formalise what they've started.
On SELECT, I'm leading on governance, financial systems, and scaling strategy, the areas where my research and my practice intersect most directly. Fiona is a full-scale ninja on operational plans, systems change and pricing plans. The programme also draws on the expertise of our full consortium team across leadership coaching, digital marketing, and cross-border commercial development.
What I'm most looking forward to is working intensively with 10 social enterprises over an extended period. Too often, support comes in one-off workshops that scratch the surface. SELECT is different, it's sustained, it's tailored, and it's designed to leave each organisation with stronger systems. You will be sick of the sight of us by the end!
SELECT is now open for applications. If you're leading a social enterprise on the island of Ireland, generating revenue through trading, and ready to strengthen your commercial foundations and explore cross-border trading this programme could be exactly what you need.
To be eligible, your social enterprise should be trading commercially for at least 12 months and wholly or partially involved in manufacturing products or offering tradable services. As this is an executive-level programme, the CEO must be the primary participant, though a second senior colleague can also take part in selected elements.
You can find full details and apply through InterTradeIreland at intertradeireland.com/sales-growth/select. Applications are open up to the 20th March.
If you have any questions about the programme or want to chat about whether it's the right fit for your organisation, feel free to get in touch at clodagh@socialenterprisesolutions.ie or Fionadescoteaux@gmail.com