Social, impact or hybrid enterprises are businesses that combine the economic goal of making profits with a positive societal impact. Education in this field mirrors entrepreneurship education, fostering entrepreneurial intentions and the creation of such enterprises. However, not everyone who would like to learn about social entrepreneurship would also like to start their own business. As the number of social enterprises grows, there is an increasing need for staff members and employees equipped with specific competencies and an understanding of these businesses’ operations and requirements. Social enterprises share many values with ESG (environmental, social, and governance) standards and the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are increasingly adopted by traditional businesses to enhance their sustainability, ethical practices, and inclusivity. Therefore, the competencies developed in social entrepreneurship education are beneficial within the realm of social enterprises and broader business contexts. To build a needs-based competence model, it is essential to examine the requirements of operational social enterprises and their specific staffing needs. This paper proposes a study focused on a subset of social enterprises known as impact enterprises or impact ventures. These high-impact companies, often funded by impact venture funds, require a skilled workforce. The diverse business focuses, and models within the portfolios of impact venture funds provide a comprehensive set of competencies that can be integrated into educational curricula. The proposed research will employ a mixed-methods approach, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups with students, teachers, and leaders in impact ventures in the Czech Republic and Spain. The results will inform the design of courses aimed at training a new generation of students who are prepared not only to start their own impact-focused businesses but also to be employed by existing ones.

Keywords: Social entrepreneurship, education, impact, competencies.