Skip to main content
News
Business School interior

Durham launches new qualification for social entrepreneurs

6 March 2026
Share page:
Workshop group around a table problem solving

A new qualification designed to support social entrepreneurs has been launched by our Business School in partnership with Junction Point CIC.

The programme aims to help founders grow their organisations while protecting their social mission. It combines academic research with practical experience from the social enterprise sector.

The practitioner-focused course has been developed over several years. It responds to common challenges faced by social enterprise leaders across the UK.

The project is funded by our Smart & Scale programme. Organisers hope to train around 500 social entrepreneurs in the North East England and beyond during the first few years.

Professor Jonathan Kimmitt, project lead and director of the Smart & Scale programme, said the qualification was created to bring together academic expertise and sector experience.

Kate Duffy, managing director of Junction Point CIC, said many founders in the sector were left to work things out on their own and that the partnership would bring academic rigour, lived experience and practical tools into one programme.

Supporting social enterprise growth

The course is structured across five units. Each focus on a key area of social enterprise development.

Participants will learn how to plan and measure social impact. They will also explore how to design business models that deliver social value.

Other units examine legal structures and long-term financial sustainability. The programme covers funding approaches such as bootstrapping, crowdfunding, grant writing and impact investment.

Real examples from the sector form part of the curriculum. These include Standing Tall, which works to address homelessness, and Go Well, a venture promoting physical activity among school pupils.

Addressing sector challenges

The qualification was developed in response to research by Durham University, which identified five common challenges faced by social entrepreneurs. The programme addresses these areas through practical tools and training.

Key challenges include:

  • Measuring social impact: Many organisations struggle to demonstrate their value to funders and stakeholders. The programme introduces practical impact measurement frameworks.
  • Choosing the right legal structure: Legal status can affect governance, funding access and profit distribution. The course helps founders make informed decisions.
  • Securing sustainable finance: Social enterprises often rely heavily on grants. Participants explore wider funding options alongside financial planning and cash flow management.
  • Business model selection: The programme helps entrepreneurs understand how customers and beneficiaries interact and how to test their assumptions.
  • Managing relationships ethically: Founders must balance the interests of funders, partners and communities. The course explores strategies for ethical leadership and trust-building.

Applications are now open for the first cohort of the qualification. Organisers say the programme is intended to strengthen the foundations of mission-driven ventures across the UK.

Find out more