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Social franchising is an option for both existing social enterprises that wish to expand their businesses through replication, and individuals who want to set up a franchise of an existing, successful social enterprise. However, it is a relatively new model of growth and little support exists for those wishing to embark on this route. 

The 'Growing social enterprise: research into social replication' report, published by Social Enterprise UK in January 2011, looks to answer the question: how can social enterprises successfully replicate their organisations?  It examines the various replication journeys open to growth-minded social enterprises.  By exploring real-life examples of replication to date, it seeks to shed light on the critical obstacles and success factors, and assess the value of each replication model for the broad spectrum of social enterprise.

The research was based on a series of qualitative, in-depth interviews with 22 organisations. The research questions considered the context and scale of each organisation, as well as its motivations for growth. The respondents were asked about their specific experiences of replication, including support and training received, any impact on their core social objectives, and the extent to which they have connected with other social enterprises following similar paths.

You can read ‘Growing social enterprise: research into social replication’ here.