Interest in social economy has grown over the last few years as a result of recognising its potential with respect to local development and in particular to social inclusion. Sustainability of social enterprises and their impact upon local development, as well as the quality and stability of jobs created within these structures represent recent topics of interest at national level. Most discourses on sustainability focus on financial aspects, although sustainability is not limited to these aspects. Financial sustainability allows the organisation to develop and invest more in order to reach social objectives, which are essential for social enterprises; however, the achievement of these objectives is insufficient for the long-term development of the organisation. A major obstacle for long-term sustainability resides in the dependence of many social economy structures on grants or different donors. An analysis on sustainability proves relevant as consistent amounts of money have been allocated by the European Social Fund for the establishment of social enterprises. In this context, the paper aims at analysing the discourses of professionals from the social economy field on the sustainability of social enterprises and of the entire sector, as well as its potential to contribute to improving the quality of life and to local development.
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