Policy – EBDC is actively involved in influencing policy by responding to consultations from Government Departments. EBDC’s approach to policy is based on the aspiration to reflect the views of the diverse communities in relation to social enterprise and business development initiatives. Furthermore, EBDC regards policy interventions as a necessary engagement between government and the voluntary sector in order to create the type of communities that secure integration, cohesion and active citizenship.

EBDC sees the ability to enthuse other organisations to respond to policy consultations in their own right as a credible infrastructure function as opposed to co-ordinating a response on behalf of other organisations. This is because when organisations are encouraged to respond in their own right, their particular viewpoints are put forward and they invariably become empowered. However, when a combined response is made, it is normally expected that a neutral response ensues as care is taken to include everybody’s views by excluding everyone else’s concerns.

One of the EBDC’s core objectives is to support UK based organisations in international development work and in this regard, the EBDC is one of the constituent organisations of Connections for Development (CfD) (cfdnetwork.) – the delivery vehicle for a Strategic Grant Agreement (SGA) with DfID in the UK. One of the objectives of CfD is to widen participation by UK based civil society organisations in DfID’s work and the wider international development issues. EBDC is positioned to play a strategic role in this drive and is already positioning itself by developing credible alliances with organisations in the UK and abroad.