On 26 February 2026, NXPO entered into a collaboration agreement with the Office of Social Enterprise Promotion (OSEP) to strengthen an enabling ecosystem for social enterprises (SE). The agreement was signed by Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat, President of NXPO, and Mr. Akkarapon Leelajindamai, Director of OSEP.
The event also featured discussions on strategic directions to enhance the social enterprise ecosystem. Participants included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Poon Thiangburanathum, Deputy Director of the Program Management Unit on Area-Based Development (PMU-A), and Mr. Somprasong Payakapan, President of the Social Enterprise Assembly (2025–2026).
In his opening remarks, Dr. Surachai outlined NXPO’s mandate as a policy agency in higher education, science, research, and innovation. NXPO is responsible for policy analysis and recommendations, higher education planning, and budget framework proposals to ensure that research, innovation, and knowledge are effectively translated into practical applications through collaborative networks. Strengthening partnerships among stakeholders within the SE ecosystem is a strategic mechanism for advancing Thailand’s economic transformation. Social enterprises contribute significantly to local job creation, grassroots economic revitalization, inequality reduction, and the inclusion of vulnerable groups in the economy—while leveraging research and innovation to enhance operation.
NXPO has continuously developed mechanisms to support social enterprises. In 2023, it published a White Paper on Social Enterprise Promotion to establish a policy framework that positions science, research, and innovation as drivers of economic and social development. In 2024, NXPO launched the Social Enterprise Incubation Platform (SEIP) to strengthen enterprises’ capacity to apply knowledge and research outputs to generate social impact alongside business sustainability. In 2025, it introduced a training program aimed at developing professional coaches to support social enterprises.
In addition, NXPO, in collaboration with PMU-A, established Impact SE Thailand as a national incubation and acceleration platform. The platform comprises four core components: (1) Impact Analysis; (2) Academy; (3) Incubation; and (4) Acceleration.
In his remarks, Mr. Akkarapon highlighted OSEP’s efforts to cultivate an ecosystem that empowers social enterprises to grow sustainably. These efforts focus on strengthening business capabilities, improving access to finance, expanding market opportunities, developing social impact assessment tools, and fostering collaboration among government, private sector, and academic stakeholders. The overarching goal is to enable social enterprises to achieve sustainable growth, contribute to grassroots economic development, reduce inequality, and promote long-term sustainability for Thai society.
This partnership aims to build a robust ecosystem that enhances the sustainability of social enterprises, generates local employment and income, reduces inequality, and advances an economic model that balances social value with economic growth—ultimately supporting Thailand’s long-term sustainable development.
