What is a Social Firm? A Social Firm is a business created for the employment of people with a disability or other disadvantage in the labour market. It is a business which uses its market orientated production of goods and services to persue its social mission. The majority of income of a social firm comes from its trading activity. A significant number of its employees will be people with a disability or other disadvantage. Typically, social firms in the UK have a workforce of whom 30% to 50% are people with a disability or other disadvantage in the labour market. Every worker is paid a market wage or salary appropriate to the work whatever their productive capacity. Work opportunities should be equal between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged employees. All employees have the same employment rights and obligations. What is an emerging Social Firm? An emerging social firm is an enterprise that is developing its business, but has not yet met the criteria above. This includes enterprises which are developing their trading activity but whose running costs are being met by temporary grants. Many emerging social firms have well established viable businesses but workers do not yet have market level wages or employment contracts.