Social Enterprise in Denmark: Historical, Contextual and Conceptual Aspects

This chapter provides a brief overview of the history of the Danish welfare state, an understanding of the institutional trajectory and legal forms of social enterprise. From a macro perspective, three major periods can be identified in the institutionalisation of Social Enterprise models in Denmark; such institutionalisation can also be approached by analysing the "individual" institutional trajectories of the main models of social enterprise. A number of business legal forms can be adopted by social enterprises in Denmark; they are presented in this chapter. The Danish ecosystem of support for social entrepreneurship and social enterprise consists of different dimensions. The chapter illustrates how five significant and influential platforms, bringing together various actors, have developed SE-related concepts and practices. However, in the recent decades, new developments have occurred: interesting Danish—and perhaps even Nordic—(social) entrepreneurial welfare-state position and practice have emerged, that identify as the "innovative and entrepreneurial welfare state".