This study examines the existing landscape of social entrepreneurship in Peru. We describe the on-the-ground situation of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in the country, the resources available, the policies recommended for Peru’s development, and the roles of the actors involved in this process.
A ‘social enterprise’ is defined as a formal and private organization whose mission is to intentionally contribute to the solution of a key social and/or environmental challenge that affects vulnerable populations through market strategies. Today, social enterprises (SE) are organizations that, due to their impact, play a strategic role in the welfare of society. Nevertheless, SEs face a variety of challenges which are primarily attributed to the lack of a general conceptual understanding of SEs and the lack of supporting organizations to help with their growth, among other barriers. SEs can be considered as a specialized sub-section of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as both share similar business challenges. However, the former faces more obstacles in their development while the latter does not have an intentional primary focus on solving social or environmental issues.
