A Holistic Strategy Guide to Financing SE's

This study is part of a broader research project conducted by a team of six students from Erasmus University in collaboration with The Bioregional Weaving Lab (BWL), a collective of social innovators addressing climate and biodiversity crises. The broader study focuses on examining the business models and scaling strategies of landscape restoration innovations within BWL's portfolio. The collaboration between Erasmus University and BWL aims to understand how these innovations can be scaled in their respective regions. The specific purpose of this study is to provide clarity on financing strategies for social enterprises (SEs) in the Netherlands, regarding their business models and external financing acquired from investors, to assist them in decision-making and improve access to financial resources throughout their lifecycle. The importance of this research stems from the challenges that SEs face in attracting finance due to their hybrid nature. While social finance institutions have attempted to alleviate this barrier, attracting finance remains difficult for SEs. Furthermore, scholars have addressed the need to systematically connect the choice of an SE business model to its (financial) management model, providing a holistic view of financing strategies, a field that has become increasingly complex due to the addition of many new social finance instruments. By addressing these existing gaps in the literature and developing theories on SE financing strategies and management, the study aims to contribute to both practical and theoretical domains. The research question guiding this study therefore is the following:

"How can Dutch Social Enterprises manage their financing strategies through various stages of their lifecycle to enhance access to financial resources?"