The West Midlands Social Economy Awards 2025 will celebrate organisations and individuals delivering outstanding social value across our region.
The awards recognise charities, social enterprises, co-operatives, community businesses, and also public and private sector organisations that deliver real social value.
This year’s awards feature 12 categories, split into three groups:
Social Economy Group Categories
Open to any social economy organisation that trades for a social purpose rather than personal profit.
- Excellence in Community Impact – recognising a significant contribution to local communities and the economy.
- Excellence in Creative Impact – celebrating organisations using arts, culture, or creative practice to deliver positive change.
- Excellence in Tech Impact – for organisations harnessing technology and innovation to address social or environmental challenges.
- Excellence in Health Impact – recognising impact in delivering health or social care benefits in the WMCA area.
- Excellence in Green Impact – for organisations making a positive contribution to the environment and transition to Net Zero.
- Excellence in Youth Impact – celebrating organisations that have made a positive difference to the lives of young people (under 25).
Individual Social Economy Organisations
Categories for specific types of social economy organisations. Entrants can also be considered in Group 1 without submitting a separate application.
- Start-up Enterprise of the Year – for new organisations under 2 years old showing rapid growth in business and social impact.
- Co-operative of the Year – recognising co-operatives making a significant impact through growth, employment or community benefit.
- Community Business of the Year – celebrating community-owned or led businesses delivering positive social outcomes.
- Social Enterprise of the Year – recognising outstanding contribution in terms of revenue growth, employment or social impact.
Public and Private Organisations
Recognising corporate and public sector bodies supporting the social economy.
- Public Sector Organisation of the Year – for public bodies contributing to the growth and engagement of social economy organisations.
- Corporate Organisation of the Year – for private sector businesses supporting and engaging with the social economy.
Key Dates
- Nominations Open: Tuesday 21 July 2025
- Nominations Close: Friday 19 September 2025
- Shortlist Announced: Wednesday 1 October 2025
- Awards Dinner: Thursday 20 November 2025
Sandwell has a large network of social enterprises and community businesses. We encourage all eligible organisations to put themselves forward and gain recognition for the difference they are making.
Submit your nomination before Friday 19 September.
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