NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) is the leading forum for international exchange and collaboration in social entrepreneurship and social investment. The success of the event in galvanising the global movement of social enterprise has created a platform for learning, sharing of good practice, ideas and creating partnerships has made it the main forum for the social enterprise sector. The annual event was first held in Edinburgh in 2008 and has since been held on six continents. This is a historic occasion as it is the first time the SEWF will be held in an emerging market economy.

The British Council is hosting the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) 2019 in Addis Ababa on 23 – 25 October 2019. As the forum enters its second decade, hosting it in Ethiopia provides a unique opportunity to create a truly global social enterprise movement that can share experience, build networks and deliver solutions for a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.

The forum will be complemented with a concurrently held youth week, policy forum, academic symposium, study tours as well as networking evening cultural receptions.

The SEWF will promote sustainable economic growth for human development and offers a great opportunity to establish new relationships and create synergies for working together to increase the visibility of social enterprise on the global stage. It will also create a platform for on-going collaboration and sharing by connecting people across Africa and the world, between advanced and developing economies.

We offer delegates a rich, authentic Ethiopian cultural experience throughout the forum, at side events and study tours, including to world renowned cultural heritage sites. The event is expected to attract up to 1,200 social enterprise leaders, policy makers, development partners, private sector representatives, academics, practitioners and supporters from all around the world.