Mapping social innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Türkiye: pathways to employment and welfare

Structural shifts and technological advancements increasingly challenge traditional economic models to address multidimentional social issues and persistent youth unemployment. This study provides an exploratory mapping of Türkiye’s social innovation and social entrepreneurship ecosystem, a landscape previously fragmented in existing literature. Adopting the multi-dimensional framework of Borzaga et al. (2020), we evaluate the national ecosystem across four foundational pillars: capacity for self-organization, visibility, research/skills development, and resource access. Methodologically, the study employs a multi-stage qualitative design – integrating the researcher's embedded participant observation,primary interviews, and secondary data – to analyze five diverse initiatives comprising direct social enterprises and ecosystem intermediaries. Findings reveal that while the ecosystem is gradually emerging through bottom-up initiatives, it remains at a nascent stage. Growth is restricted by structural constraints, notably the absence of a dedicated legal framework and limited investor familiarity with hybrid business models. Furthermore, employment impacts operate through two distinct channels: direct outcomes via demand-driven training (İstanbul Kodluyor, SİA Konya) and indirect benefits generated by social capital and green auxiliary jobs (İhtiyaç Haritası, Atık Nakit). To unlock the ecosystem's potential and transition toward an institutionalized, impact-oriented model, we recommend comprehensive legal reform, diversified financing through social impact bonds, and enhanced capacity-building mechanisms.