After defining Social Entrepreneurship for the German context, the above named paper gives a compact analysis of the determining factors for Social Entrepreneurship in Germany. Therefore it applies the analytic framework used by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) to Social Entrepreneurship. Thereby the current situation of following framework conditions for Social Entrepreneurship in Germany can be described: 1. Financial Support (availability of financial resources, equity, and debt, for new and growing social enterprises including grants and subsidies) 2. Government Policies (the extent to which government policies concerning taxes, regulations and their application are neutral or whether these polices discourage or encourage new and growing social enterprises) 3. Government Programs (the presence of direct programs to assist new and growing social enterprises at all levels of government - national, regional, and municipal) 4. Education and Training (the extent to which training in starting or managing small, new, or growing social enterprises features in the educational and training system and the quality, relevance and depth of such education and training in creating or managing small, new or growing social enterprises) 5. Research and Development Transfer (the extent to which national and economic research and development leads to new social opportunities, and whether or not R&D is available for new, small, and growing social enterprises) 6. Market Openness/Barriers to Entry (the extent to which commercial arrangements are prevented from undergoing constant change and re-deployment, preventing new and growing social enterprises from competing and replacing existing suppliers, subcontractors, and consultants) 7. Cultural and Social Norms (the extent to which existing social and cultural norms encourage, or do not discourage, individual actions that may lead to new ways of conducting social business or social entrepreneurship and, in turn, lead to greater dispersion in wealth and income)
