Verified Social Enterprise Label – Austria makes social impact visible

Austria has a vibrant social enterprise landscape, with an estimated 2,500 organisations active across the country. They address challenges in fields like education, social care, integration, circular economy and climate protection. Nearly half of them combine social and ecological goals, over 80 % measure their impact, and more than 90 % reinvest profits into their mission. This dynamism shows how central social enterprises are for addressing societal transitions.

Until recently, however, Austria faced a challenge: there was no official recognition or statistical clarity of social enterprises. This made it difficult for policy makers, funders and partners to distinguish genuinely impact-driven organisations.

In response, the Verified Social Enterprise Label (VSE-Label) was introduced in 2022. Coordinated by Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) and supported by the Federal Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism (BMWET), in cooperation with Social Entrepreneurship Network Austria (SENA) and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ), the Label provides the first state-backed recognition of social enterprises in Austria – independent of sector or legal form.

The process is free of charge but thorough: applicants document their impact, provide a clear commitment to social purpose, and are evaluated by an independent impact board and jury. To support them, ecosystem partners like SENA, atempo, Impact Hub Vienna and the Social Business Hub Styria run workshops that guide organisations through the process and help sharpen their impact strategies.

In just three years, 60 organisations have already been certified, spanning diverse sectors from inclusive education to sustainable products and care services. For them, the VSE-Label is more than a certificate – it is a tool for credibility, a signal of trust, and an entry point to policy discussions. For Austria, it creates for the first time a reliable overview of social enterprises, enabling better data and visibility.

With this initiative, Austria is not only supporting its own social enterprises but also contributing to the wider goals of the European Social Economy Action Plan: strengthening visibility, access to funding and policy integration across Europe. The VSE-Label shows how a state-supported yet ecosystem-driven model can bring momentum, credibility and inspiration to the social economy.

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