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Community‐led innovative solutions, including community‐based social enterprises, have been brought to the fore as significant actors with the potential to contribute to neo‐endogenous rural development. Through 34 interviews with stakeholders of four community‐based social enterprises operating in rural Ireland and Finland, we analyse the role of these organisations in the institutionalisation of plural (socio‐)economic relations within different rural areas of Europe. Our findings demonstrate how community‐based social enterprises can act as enablers and supporters of local markets, channels of redistributive resources and coordinators of local reciprocity, thus, contributing to 'institutional thickness' within their localities. We also show how structural differences, such as the role of local government in Finland and Ireland, can partially explain the role of these organisations as rural development actors. Finally, our article stresses the relevance of developing research and policies from a socially embedded and pluralistic view of the economy to provide nuanced analysis and realistic solutions to the complex challenges that rural areas face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural shrinking is an ongoing phenomenon in many parts of Europe. Against this backdrop neo‐endogenous rural development has been gaining support as a conceptual and policy approach which stress the combination of local and external actors, resources and forces for enhancing an integrated development of rural areas. Within this governance framework rural social enterprises have been stressed as potential key actors contributing to rural development. This paper explores, through 36 semi‐structured interviews with diverse stakeholders of two Irish community‐based rural social enterprises, the role of these organizations in contributing to a neo‐endogenous development. Our findings show how their mobilization of the social attachment of their members, their collective character and their delivery of tangible results have been key to develop collaborative dynamics with stakeholders from different sectors and situated at various spatial scales. Moreover, these organizations have accommodated global‐exogenous forces buffering their effects through locally‐focused solutions which address the needs of their rural communities, despite their incapacity to address the causes of these global‐exogenous trends. We conclude that rural community‐based social enterprises can play a relevant role in contributing to neo‐endogenous development, however, institutional frameworks that address the diversity of rural areas and that enhance balanced collaborations among different rural development stakeholders are a precondition to unlock their potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural shrinking is an ongoing phenomenon in many parts of Europe. Against this backdrop neo‐endogenous rural development has been gaining support as a conceptual and policy approach which stress the combination of local and external actors, resources and forces for enhancing an integrated development of rural areas. Within this governance framework rural social enterprises have been stressed as potential key actors contributing to rural development. This paper explores, through 36 semi‐structured interviews with diverse stakeholders of two Irish community‐based rural social enterprises, the role of these organizations in contributing to a neo‐endogenous development. Our findings show how their mobilization of the social attachment of their members, their collective character and their delivery of tangible results have been key to develop collaborative dynamics with stakeholders from different sectors and situated at various spatial scales. Moreover, these organizations have accommodated global‐exogenous forces buffering their effects through locally‐focused solutions which address the needs of their rural communities, despite their incapacity to address the causes of these global‐exogenous trends. We conclude that rural community‐based social enterprises can play a relevant role in contributing to neo‐endogenous development, however, institutional frameworks that address the diversity of rural areas and that enhance balanced collaborations among different rural development stakeholders are a precondition to unlock their potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]