About Us

For over two decades, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI) has been at the forefront of tackling the country’s most complex social challenges by banking on Ireland’s problem solvers.

Ireland faces deep-rooted issues that traditional systems and government alone cannot solve. We believe the solution lies in social entrepreneurs: courageous individuals who use their creativity and lived experience to design locally rooted, nationally scalable solutions.

What Sets Us Apart: We Back the Person

Unlike traditional funding models, we don’t just back ideas, we back the people behind them. We take the risks others won’t and stay the course, ensuring no visionary leader is left behind due to a lack of support.

The social entrepreneur’s journey is long and often lonely, taking an average of 3.75 years to progress from a spark of an idea to measurable impact. We walk alongside leaders for the duration, providing:

• Tailored Mentorship & Expert Training: Equipping founders with the leadership skills and resilience needed to thrive.
• Strategic Funding: Providing the early-stage and bridge support necessary to innovate boldly.
• A Vibrant Peer Community: Creating a sense of belonging where leaders can connect and grow together.

Our Impact

Since 2004, SEI has supported over 660 social entrepreneurs who are driving change in mental health, climate action, social inclusion, and beyond. Our alumni, including AsIAm, FoodCloud, and Her Sport, have impacted the lives of millions and addressed 15 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Proven Success: The Impact of Strategic Support

Our model is designed to shorten and strengthen the difficult journey to transformational leadership. While this path is naturally challenging, our tailored interventions ensure that innovators do not have to walk it alone.

Independent analysis conducted by Frontier Economics validates our approach, showing that social entrepreneurs supported by SEI are up to 50% more likely to succeed than those without our backing.

Our work is built on a foundation of financial resilience and transparency, guided by three strategic goals:

1. Discover: We identify and champion vibrant leaders at the very start of their journey, ensuring promising innovators are never lost to a lack of resources.
2. Develop: We provide “rocket fuel” through early-stage funding, mentorship, and technical expertise when and where it matters most.
3. Deliver: We equip founders with the leadership guidance and networks required to scale proven solutions nationally, creating sustainable and systemic change.

By bridging the gaps in funding, mentorship, and professional networks, we provide the “wrap-around” support that allows leaders to not only survive the “rollercoaster of social entrepreneurship” but to thrive and scale.