ESP Projects Ltd: IT Support - Sheffield

According to the DTI, the definition of Social Enterprise is:

"Businesses with primarily social objectives, who's surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business, or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners"

ESP IS AN INNOVATIVE VARIANT ON THIS 'TRADITIONAL' MODEL OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

Structured like a conventional private company, ESP has social as well as financial objectives written into our Articles of Association. Moreover shares in the company are owned by a diverse range of voluntary and community organisations as well as other social enterprises representing economic regeneration, neighbourhood renewal, disability issues as well as those addressing other forms of social exclusion.

This type of ownership ensures that the priorities and aspirations of the community are reflected to only in the constitution but also in the capital structure and in the Boardroom. Moreover the profits of the company are distributed to all shareholders, and staff as well as private and community investors benefit from ESP's success.

ESP Projects 5 key social obligations are as follows:

1. The employment and training of local people in the field of ICT with a particular focus on those with a disadvantaged background
2. To provide impartial, high quality ICT advice that is responsive to the needs of the VCS
3. To encourage and actively foster a greater awareness of technical solutions that can empower our clients in the VCS to become more effective in their valuable work
4. To participate in a partnerships and collaborative working to aid the VCS to get themost from ICT
5. To provide bursaries drawn from the companies' profits for ICT instruction and training

For more information about the work of ESP and how we fulfil our obligations, please consult the News section of this website, or contact us from more information.