ABSTRACT
The restructuring of the economy during the 1980s had led to a decline of the welfare state and the rise of neoliberalism, facilitating a move from government to governance. As a result, there is an increasing reliance on the non-profit sector to deliver services, and yet they too have seen a decline in support they have historically received from the state, and this is further exacerbated by a decline in charitable giving. As a consequence, activity in the non-profit sector increased whereby they develop services and produce products to generate revenue to invest in supporting their social mission. These are known as social enterprises. The focus of this chapter is on rural social enterprises, how regional historical forces shape them, how rural social enterprises develop, and concludes with examining the implications for policy to support rural social enterprise development.
