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About the awards

The Upstarts Awards began in 2001 to encourage and reward extraordinary vision, ethical business practice and social responsibility. They aim to showcase businesses that offer innovative and sustainable solutions to social problems.

Social enterprise is at the cutting edge of business culture. Dynamic enterprises with a social purpose invigorate the UK economy and challenge the traditional role of companies as profit-driven ventures. As a result, social enterprises foster the development of innovative business practices - from vocational training and enterprise structures to creative revenue solutions and co-operative ownership models.

This year's awards form part of Edge Upstarts, a programme that promotes practical learning. As a result, the Edge Upstarts Awards 2006 will focus on the driving force of the social enterprise sector: its people.

As well as being visionaries and business leaders, social entrepreneurs are employers. They are educators and mentors who pass on practical skills and social values to their employees, many of whom are disadvantaged. The main beneficiaries of social enterprises working to help those in the community are:

• people with disabilities (19%)
• children or young people (17%)
• the elderly (15%)
• people on low incomes (12%)

Training and education is the main way in which these people are helped. With practical skills, employees are able to nurture their abilities, become more productive and contribute immeasurably to socially oriented businesses. Some may even go on to establish their own social enterprises, which could further expand the sector.

With this in mind, the 2006 awards will recognise in particular those employers who pass on practical skills and those who benefit from learning-by-doing.

What are the rules?
What is social enterprise?
Who are social entrepreneurs?
What is practical learning?
Who won last year?