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<p>The Government strongly supports the co-operative sector and social businesses’
contribution to society and the economy. Co-operatives and mutuals contribute to the
diversity and resilience of the economy with their democratic structure, their emphasis
on the long-term interests of their members and their local focus and commitment.
Social businesses create jobs for those excluded from the labour market, directly
address social challenges and build social capital within communities.</p><p>The Department
for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport works with the Department for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy and other relevant departments to ensure that government policy
helps cooperatives and social businesses to grow and flourish.</p><p>The Government
has cut the red tape facing the sector through the Co-operative and Community Benefit
Societies Act 2014 and subsequent regulations. More recently, the government has reaffirmed
our commitment to the sector through the £150 million community ownership fund, which
supports co-operatives and community-owned businesses to take over valuable and viable
local assets at risk of closure.</p><p>DCMS’s support for social businesses includes:</p><ul><li><p>£485
million of dormant assets funding that has been allocated to social investment, which
to date has supported thousands of charities and social enterprises across England
to grow their impact and scale their operations</p></li><li><p>developing the Social
Value Model, in partnership with Cabinet Office - requiring social value to be evaluated
in all central government procurement</p></li><li><p>launching the VCSE Contract Readiness
Fund - inviting bids to enable VCSE organisations to compete alongside other organisations
and increase their participation in public service procurement</p></li></ul><p>Work
is also underway on plans to meet the following commitment from the Levelling Up White
Paper:</p><p>“The UK Government will consider how best to encourage social organisations
and entrepreneurship to flourish in left-behind places across the UK, building on
and augmenting existing support, generating evidence on what social enterprises need
to do to thrive in disadvantaged places, and encouraging the next generation of social
entrepreneurs.”</p><p> </p>
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