2. Table of contents
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 10
Page 14
Executive summary
Introduction
Context
Partners
Community
Outputs
Impact
Conclusions
Published by:
Community Made Solutions Limited
Acknowledgements:
This report draws, in part, on the results of evaluation carried out for the Social Enterprise
Exchange partners by Forever Consulting. It has been produced with the financial support of
the European Regional Development Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund.
Copyright:
Published in 2023 under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Social Enterprise Exchange 2
3. Executive Summary
Social Enterprise Exchange (SEE) is a
partnership-based programme supporting
social enterprise in South Yorkshire and
neighbouring localities in Derbyshire and
Nottinghamshire.
It is designed to deliver positive social
and environmental impact and has been
co-financed by the European Regional
Development Fund and the National Lottery
Community Fund.
The second phase of delivery (SEE2)
ran from 2019 to 2023 and focussed on
promotion and awareness raising, start-up
support and development of existing social
enterprises.
The SEE2 programme worked with a total
of 270 social enterprises and a further
107 pre-start social enterprise projects. It
exceeded key output targets including 83
grants awarded and 154 social enterprises
receiving at least 12 hours non-financial
assistance. It contributed to the creation of
42 additional full-time equivalent jobs and
58 social enterprise start-ups.
Of the social enterprises supported, 95%
had a focus on one or more of health and
social care, creative and digital, education
and skills, enterprise, food, environment,
community development, sports and
wellbeing. External evaluation, completed
in 2023, highlighted a successful delivery
model, continuing demand, and broad social
impact. In the survey response, 87% said
that support received had contributed to
their resilience and growth.
Those supported represent a diverse mix
of groups including a majority, 65%, being
female-led; 28% from minoritised ethnic
communities; a broad mix of age groups
reflecting the regional demographic; and
19% with a disability, higher than the general
population.
The programme achieved excellent
value for money in comparison to similar
programmes elsewhere, with a social return
on investment assessed as £6.52 per £1
invested.
Challenges faced include the Covid-19
pandemic requiring much of the delivery
to be moved online and, more broadly, a
Strengths of the programme, highlighted
in the evaluation, include the quality of
support provided, ease of access and
responsiveness, networking events and the
grants scheme.
Among key lessons for the delivery partners
and wider stakeholders are:
- There is an ongoing need for specialist
support for social enterprise, particularly
in relation to funding, marketing, business
growth, governance and social impact
- Support should be flexible, tailored to
need, free to access and provided locally
- Better access is needed to grants and
funding, particularly for smaller social
enterprises, and funding conditions should
not be excessively onerous
- Networking events are valued for
knowledge sharing, peer support and
inspiration
- Some benefits and social impact may be
realised well after support ends and can
be better understood through follow-up
monitoring of social enterprise development
e
g
n
a
h
c
x
E
e
s
i
r
p
r
e
t
n
E
l
a
i
c
o
S 3
4. with the delivery partners’ own
contributions.
SEE2 builds on previous successful
collaborations among the core group
of partners including a successful first
phase of work that ran from July 2016
to June 2019.
SEE2 has three pillars to its core
programme of activities:
- Promotion of the concept and
practice of social enterprise, including
awareness raising, knowledge sharing,
networking and communications
- Support for new social entrepreneurs,
and start-up and early stage social
enterprises
- Support for growth and development
of existing social enterprises including
support for new products and services,
and for scaling-up of existing services
Introduction
Social Enterprise Exchange (SEE) is a
regional support programme for social
enterprise covering South Yorkshire
(Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and
Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales
and North East Derbyshire.
SEE has been designed to achieve lasting
social, economic and community benefit
through the establishment of new social
enterprises and transformation of existing
social enterprises that deliver positive
social and environmental impact in support
of people and communities.
This is a report on the second phase of
delivery from July 2019 to June 2023, SEE2.
The SEE2 programme has been delivered
by a community-based consortium in
collaboration with the regional business
growth hub and other stakeholders.
The programme has been co-financed
by European Regional Development
Fund (ERDF) and the National Lottery
Community Fund (TNCLF) together
We Can Grow Communities
Support: Start-up workshop series,
business and financial planning advice
Impact: Social inclusion, education and
skills, healthy eating
We Can Grow Communities installs purpose-
built raised-bed wooden planters and delivers a
wide range of fun, stimulating activities to teach
children and young people the life skills of growing
vegetables, furthering their understanding of
science and eating a healthy diet.
We Can Grow Communities enrolled in the SEE2
start-up workshop series receiving support with
creating a business and financial plan and cash
flow forecasts, as well as one-to-one advice.
Support provided helped the social enterprise
secure over £100k in new funding.
SEE2 support for We Can Grow Communities has
contributed to:
• Creating seasonal employment opportunities
• Engaging young people and reducing anti-
social behaviour
• Encouraging healthy eating habits and
growing own food
• Providing volunteering opportunities and
reducing isolation
Social Enterprise Exchange 4
5. Context
The rationale and context at the time of
programme design included:
High levels of deprivation, with South
Yorkshire’s local authorities among the
20 per cent most deprived in England
(Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2019)
• A weak enterprise culture and low
rates of self-employment
• High levels of worklessness and
economic inactivity
• Particular barriers to enterprise
faced by some disadvantaged
groups
• Social enterprise recognised as
a driver for social and economic
inclusion
• A strong tradition of social
enterprise development in the
region
• Social enterprise support needs
including finance and specialist
advice
• Evidence of local demand from the
earlier phase of the programme
The operating context changed dramatically
in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which
impacted both on the mode of delivery and
wider socio-economic conditions.
Other significant external changes
impacting on delivery and social enterprise
development included the introduction of
Universal Credit, Brexit and the cost of living
crisis.
True Talk Africa
Support: Start-up workshops, one-to-one support,
CIC registration
Impact: Strengthened communities, cultural
diversity, education
Founded in 2019 by three friends, True Talk Africa
promotes holistic narratives about Sub-Saharan
African history, culture and society and the Black
British presence in England and Wales. They
work with children in schools and adults via book
clubs. They also provide advice and support to
others about representation and inclusivity.
SEE2 support enabled True Talk Africa to quickly
register as a CIC after previously struggling
with the process. They joined the SEE2 start-up
workshop series to help develop their approach.
They identified business planning and marketing
elements as particularly useful and appreciated the
tailored support and face-to-face enterprise advisor
meetings.
SEE2 support for True Talk Africa has helped
the organisation’s work:
• Strengthening communities by improving
holistic awareness of the history and cultures
of people with African and Black heritage in
England and Wales
• Increasing skills and capabilities of around
180 trainee teachers to support the
decolonisation of early years and primary
education
e
g
n
a
h
c
x
E
e
s
i
r
p
r
e
t
n
E
l
a
i
c
o
S 5
6. Thurgoland Village Welfare
Support: Grant funding, networking opportunities
Impact: Community strengthening, health and
wellbeing, reducing social isolation
In a rural farming village near Barnsley, Thurgoland
Village Welfare is a social hub at the heart of the
community, run by volunteers and hosting activities
for all ages and interests.
Through the support of SEE2, they received a grant
to purchase essential IT equipment and a new
website, benefitted from networking events, and
sourced a developer to build their website. The
new website provides credibility to funders and
partners, and enables Thurgoland Village Welfare to
better promote its activities in the local community.
An online booking system function will further
modernise the organisation and its use of digital
tools.
SEE2 support for Thurgoland Village Welfare
has enabled it to widen its impact:
• Upgrading and maintaining valuable
community assets
•
activities to strengthen the community
• Providing activities for physical, mental and
emotional health and wellbeing
Partnership
SEE is a partnership-based programme with
each partner playing a role, drawing on their
strengths and capabilities. The core partners
have built a strong working relationship
over previous phases of delivery and have
adapted to change as the programme has
evolved.
The delivery partners for SEE2 have been
Community Made Solutions, Cultural
Yorkshire Community Foundation, and
Barnsley Community and Voluntary Services.
Groundwork South Yorkshire was a partner
in the first year of delivery of SEE2 but
wound up its operations in 2021, as part of
a restructure in response to the Covid-19
pandemic.
Community Made Solutions (CMS) has been
the consortium lead with responsibilities for
contracts, financial control, reporting, and
back-stop business support delivery.
component, delivering workshops and one-
support around marketing, communications
and ICTs.
Cultural Industries Quarter Agency (CIQA)
has led the growth component supporting
existing social enterprises with access
to bespoke support as well as specialist
building-based advice
South Yorkshire Community Foundation
(SYCF) has been responsible for
management of the SEE2 grants
component consisting of small grants
from £1,000 to £5,000 in value.
(SSEN) has led on networking events in
to delivery of the conferences and the
Barnsley Community and Voluntary
Services (BCVS) has provided local
hosting and support for SEE2 activities
and business support delivery in
Barnsley.
Social Enterprise Exchange 6
7. Over the course of seven years of delivery,
including this and the previous phase of
work, SEE has built a large network of
social enterprises, social entrepreneurs and
sector stakeholders across South Yorkshire
and the wider region, with over 1600
individual contacts and a larger number
reached through the social enterprises
supported.
Engagement with our community of
practitioners and stakeholders has been a
core element of the programme, providing
feedback on delivery and informing the
strategic approach.
Sector conferences have been held on
an annual basis on International Social
Enterprise Day. These have provided a
space for knowledge sharing, diverse
case stories, networking and relationship
building, dialogue about the priorities and
opportunities for social enterprise, as well
as feedback on project delivery to inform
future planning and lessons learned.
Stakeholder dialogue events have brought
together leading social entrepreneurs with
public sector decision makers to discuss
the state of the sector, challenges and
Community
opportunities, notably in the context of
post-Covid-19 recovery and the changing
economic environment.
Thematic networking events have
highlighted case stories of successful
social enterprises and lessons learned, plus
an opportunity to visit some of the social
enterprise locations.
Roadshows have assisted to raise
awareness of social enterprise across the
region including in rural and semi-urban
communities and to engage diverse
audiences.
Engagement has been reinforced through
multiple communication tools including
website, social media, email news updates,
partner newsletters and community media.
Chesterfield Canal Trust
Support: Business advice, grant funding
Impact: Job creation, environmental
improvement, health and wellbeing,
education
Established in the late 1970s and run largely
by volunteers, Chesterfield Canal Trust
aims to restore and maintain the 46-mile
Chesterfield Canal linking Nottingham, South
Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Advice provided
through SEE2 led the organisation to
the business. The trust was later
instrumental in securing major funding for
new canal towpath works as part of a multi-
million pound Levelling Up grant. They also
accessed useful contacts through SEE2 and
received a grant for IT equipment.
SEE2 support for Chesterfield Canal Trust
has contributed to:
• Getting more people involved in
outdoor activities
• Improving and maintaining access to
towpaths for walking and cycling.
• Educational talks in schools and
running boat trips for pupils.
• Economic benefits for the adjoining
towns through boat trip visitors
e
g
n
a
h
c
x
E
e
s
i
r
p
r
e
t
n
E
l
a
i
c
o
S 7
8. Overall the programme delivery achieved
key outputs, with 83 grants awarded (target
55) and 154 businesses receiving at least
12 hours non-financial assistance (target
150), amounting to a total of 182 unique
businesses assisted (target 165). A total of
270 social enterprises received some form
of support, including those receiving less
than the 12 hours threshold, and a further 107
pre-start social enterprise initiatives were also
supported.
The programme achieved excellent value for
money in comparison to similar programmes
elsewhere, with a social return on investment
of £6.52 per £1 invested, based on analysis
in line with HM Treasury Green Book of
the value of the jobs and business support
outputs..
Delivery was organised across four strands of
activity:
A – PROMOTE
Promotion, network development and
communications
Outputs
Targeted promotion, outreach and
awareness raising
• Website maintained with new events,
news content, and reports
• Promotion via partners’
communication platforms and social
media
• Enquiries handled via an online
portal, including referrals from
the regional growth hub, with 628
enquiries received and 597 referred
for potential support
Network development and
communications
• 16x thematic networking events held,
mainly online though some face-to-
face
• 10x social enterprise meet-up events
organised in 2020 to promote mutual
support and networking in response
to the Covid-19 pandemic
• 4x regional Social Enterprise
Exchange conferences, with total 206
participants
• 2x stakeholder dialogue events for
social entrepreneurs and sector
stakeholders
B – ACCELERATE
Supporting social enterprise start-ups
Start-up accelerator workshops
• 20x Accelerate start-up workshop
series, from concept development to
business modelling, with follow-up
action learning sets for peer-sharing
and bespoke advice
• 2x introduction to social enterprise
workshops for earlier stage
beneficiaries
Specialist advice and support
• Business diagnostics, advice,
guidance and bespoke support
provided to 107 pre-start projects and
106 start-up and early stage social
enterprises
Start-up grants
• 14x grants calls completed with 33
start-up grants awarded ranging from
£1,000 to £1,500, with £45,698 in total
grant funding allocated for start-up
social enterprises
Social Enterprise Exchange 8
9. Outputs (continued)
C – TRANSFORM
Supporting social enterprise growth and
development
Specialist social enterprise advice
• Business diagnostics, advice,
guidance and bespoke support
provided to 164 existing social
enterprises (greater than 12 months
old), including business modelling,
access to finance, restructuring,
and new products or services
Workshops and masterclasses
• 20x social enterprise workshops
and masterclasses with a total
of 309 attendances and topics
including Covid-19 response
and recovery, business planning,
access to grants, building-based
design, environmental audit and
other specialist topics
Building-based development
• Tailored building-based business
support for 18 community hubs
including with planning, concept
stage design, environmental advice
and access to finance
Marketing and promotional support
• Marketing and promotional
support provided to beneficiary
enterprises including
communications planning,
social media strategy, brand
development
Development grants
• 14x grants calls completed with
50 development grants awarded
ranging from £1,000 to £5,000,
with £142,444 in total grant
funding allocated
D – PROJECT MANAGEMENT &
EVALUATION
Project management and
administration
• Monthly Project Management
Group meetings
• Quarterly progress, output and
financial reports.
Sustainability and independent
evaluation
• Monitoring policy development
and funding opportunities
• Engagement with local, regional
and national stakeholders
• Case stories and independent
SEE2 in numbers
» 35 promotional and networking
events
» 111 workshop events for start-ups
» 43 thematic workshops and
masterclasses
» 568 registrations for programme
support
» 107 pre-start social enterprise
projects supported
» 58 new social enterprises established
» 106 start-up and early-stage (<1 year)
social enterprises supported
» 164 existing social enterprises (>1
year) received specialist support
» 83 grants awarded to start-up and
existing social enterprises
» 42 additional full-time equivalent jobs
created
e
g
n
a
h
c
x
E
e
s
i
r
p
r
e
t
n
E
l
a
i
c
o
S 9
10. Reyt Repair
Support: Business advice, start-up
workshops
Impact: Environmental improvement, health
and wellbeing, improved livelihoods
Reyt Repair opened in Abbeyfield Park
powered repair shop. Volunteers with
screwdrivers and sewing machines tackle
repair jobs, fixing electricals, furniture and
clothes, while addressing bigger issues such
as the cost of living crisis and environmental
concerns with a throwaway culture. As well
as fixing and mending things, Reyt Repair
– gathering in the community hub and
participating in training, workshops and
sharing of skills. SEE2 provided support
through start-up workshops and business
advice to help structure the business.
SEE2 support for Reyt Repair has
contributed to:
• Providing training and opportunities for
volunteering
• Raising awareness of recycling and the
environment
• Providing a low cost repairs service for
people in need
Impact
External evaluation demonstrated broad
social impact of the social enterprises
supported within and across communities
in South Yorkshire and the wider region.
Those supported represent a diverse mix
of groups including a majority, 65%, being
female-led; 28% from minoritised ethnic
communities; a broad mix of age groups
reflecting the regional demographic; and
19% with a disability, higher than the
general population.
Geographical spread indicated many in
the more deprived locations and a higher
other localities.
The social enterprises supported are active
across diverse sub-sectors including
health and social care; creative and digital;
education and skills; enterprise support;
food and environment; community
development; and sports and wellbeing.
Impact and community benefit arises
from strengthening the performance
and resilience of social enterprises
supported; assisting the start-up of new
social enterprises; jobs created and
safe-guarded; and additional investment
leveraged into social enterprise activity.
Of the social enterprises supported that
responded to the evaluation survey, 87%
said that support received from SEE2
had contributed to some extent to their
resilience and growth.
Over the longer term the project has
sought to create a culture of social
entrepreneurship and the development of a
sustainable network of knowledge sharing
and mutual support.
The external evaluation examined ten
areas of social impact expected and
reported on the results of a questionnaire
survey, one-to-one interviews and focus
groups. Below is a summary of results of
the impact assessment, beneficiary survey
and project data.
Social Enterprise Exchange 10
11. Impact (continued)
Increased employment
SEE2 contributed to the creation of at
least 42 additional full-time equivalent
jobs based on reporting from the social
enterprises supported. Of the social
enterprises supported that responded to
the evaluation survey, 32% reported an
increase in the number of jobs.
Improved livelihoods
Of the social enterprises supported that
responded to the evaluation survey,
21% indicated their social enterprise
has contributed to an improvement in
livelihoods. Examples include:
• Increasing the number of activities
delivered to young people in school
holidays,
• Increasing extracurricular activities
special schools.
• Increasing activities to combat
antisocial behaviour and improve
pride in place.
Strengthened communities
Of the social enterprises supported,
42% indicated in the survey that their
activities contributed to strengthening
communities. Examples include:
• Putting on plays for people who
are known not to leave their
locality often.
• Increased year round use of
community space through
improved heating
• Developing a platform for local
and international artists to help
their business
Improved health and wellbeing
Health and wellbeing is a focus
for many of the social enterprises
supported with over 25% primarily
operating in this arena. Of social
enterprises supported that responded
to the evaluation survey, 53% said
they had contributed to improvements
in health and wellbeing. Among
examples of improvement supported
by SEE2, beneficiaries reported:
• Promoting healthier lifestyles
in areas with high levels of
childhood obesity
• Creating and performing
bereavement and PTSD-themed
plays
• Supporting vulnerable adults in
drug and alcohol recovery
e
g
n
a
h
c
x
E
e
s
i
r
p
r
e
t
n
E
l
a
i
c
o
S 11
12. Impact (continued)
Environmental improvement
Of the social enterprises supported,
11% indicated in the survey that they
had contributed to environmental
improvement in the last three years
and 42% expected to do so in the next
year indicating increasing awareness of
environmental issues. Examples include:
• Hosting a play about flooding and
flood response
• Changing lighting to be more
• Increasing the amount of CO2
saved by their products
Increased skills and capabilities
Social enterprises and social
entrepreneurs supported benefitted
directly from workshops, masterclasses
and advice that contributed to skills
and capabilities including in relation
to business modelling, fundraising,
marketing, management and building-
based development. Of the social
enterprises supported and responding to
the survey, 47% indicated that they had
contributed more widely to increase in
skills and capabilities. Examples include:
• Expanding the number of
educational workshops available
for children
• Developing links with local
colleges to provide volunteering
opportunities
• Increasing the range of holiday
activities available for the young
people
Increased equality of opportunity
Of the social enterprises supported
and responding to the survey, 42%
said they had contributed to an
increase in equality of opportunity.
Examples include:
• Providing training and supported
volunteering opportunities for
asylum seekers
• Facilitating non-traditional work
experience for care-experienced
young people
• Promoting access to employment
through social enterprise for
refugee women
Social Enterprise Exchange 12
13. Impact (continued)
Reduction in social and economic
exclusion
Many of the social enterprises supported
work with vulnerable groups such as
older people and those with mental
health issues. Among those supported,
42% indicated in the survey that they
had contributed to a reduction in social
and economic exclusion. Examples
include:
• Increasing outreach work to
support more people with dementia
and their carers
• Increasing volunteering
opportunities for people with
special educational needs
• Promoting and facilitating peer
support groups at neighbourhood
level
Better access to information and
services
Of the social enterprises supported,
32% reported in the survey that
they contributed to better access to
information and services. Many of
the community hubs supported have
a key role in providing local access
to information and services. Other
examples include a social enterprise
providing schools with library reading
lists and hosting a book club.
Strengthened diversity of cultural
expression
A significant proportion of the
enterprises working with and for
minoritised ethnic communities. Of
the social enterprises supported, 16%
indicated in the survey that they had
strengthened diversity of cultural
expression. Examples include:
Enhancing cultural engagement by
hosting weekly community events
Promoting women artists and
and artists of diverse backgrounds
and cultures
Working with trainee teachers to
raise awareness of cultural diversity
e
g
n
a
h
c
x
E
e
s
i
r
p
r
e
t
n
E
l
a
i
c
o
S 13
•
•
•
14. External evaluation
highlighted the strengths
and successes of the SEE2
programme and
some challenges and lessons
learned that can help inform
future programme design.
Conclusions Strengths
• Clear need and evidence of demand for
the programme
•
model providing high quality support
• Broadly positive user experience, with
many beneficiaries accessing support
•
that was tailored and varied
• Services were user friendly, easy to
access and responsive
• Website provided useful guidance and
was accessible and easy-to-navigate
• Workshops helped many to learn new
skills, network and improve confidence
• Networking events have helped build a
community of like-minded enterprises
• Grant funding contributed to the profile
and development of those supported
• Building-based support was well-
received and not readily available
elsewhere
• Organisations supported represented a
very diverse mix of groups
• Awareness and understanding of social
enterprise has increased
• Wide impact achieved including
economic, social, health and
environmental
• Excellent value for money in comparison
to similar programmes elsewhere
Challenges
• The Covid-19 pandemic required much of
the activity to be delivered online
• Plans for location and place-based
working had to be largely deferred
• More opportunities to present
accomplishments would have been
welcomed
•
worsened for most of the programme
• Not all beneficiaries were aware they had
a dedicated enterprise advisor
• Grant eligibility and monitoring
requirements were somewhat
restrictive
Social Enterprise Exchange 14
x
15. Conclusions (continued)
Lessons for the SEE delivery
partners
• There is an ongoing need for
support to start-up and existing
social enterprises
• The most important areas of
support identified were:
» Grant funding and fundraising
(76%)
» Marketing and promotion (54%)
» Business growth support (50%)
» Governance and HR (46%)
» Demonstrating social impact
(43%)
• The support provided to social
enterprises should be:
» Tailored to the social
enterprises’ needs (73%)
» Free to access (69%)
» Provided locally (56%)
» Delivered in person (44%) or
delivered online (40%)
• Networking events were greatly
Lessons for future
intervention models
• Events help generate interest in
the support available and help
create a pipeline
• Social enterprises expressed
to engagement methods
whether online or face to face
– flexible delivery should offer
both
• Many social enterprises need
regular and tailored support over
a long period and benefit from
having access to a dedicated
enterprise advisor
• Knowledge sharing between
social enterprises can help in
learning about sourcing
materials, saving on costs, and
opportunities for co-operation
• Follow-up monitoring of
the development of social
enterprises supported helps
better understand the impact
of the business support and
grant funding provided
Lessons for policymakers
• Most social enterprises reported the
need for additional funding
• Feedback from smaller social
enterprises suggests they have had
difficulty gaining access to higher
levels of funding that would enable
growth and development
• Grant monitoring should allow some
flexibility around how funding can be
spent and which service providers
contracted, making the process more
efficient and effective
• Some benefits of support provided
will be realised well after the
programme ends
e
g
n
a
h
c
x
E
e
s
i
r
p
r
e
t
n
E
l
a
i
c
o
S 15
16. “Our advisor was a font of knowledge
and supported us in developing a
business plan, a financial plan, and a
cash flow.”
“The support was fantastic and gave
us confidence to really go for it.”
"If it hadn't been for the support from
SEE, we may not have been able to
register as a CIC and deliver everything
we do. Our adviser helped us realise
that we can do it.”
“It was a meeting that completely
changed everything. The advisor’s clear
thinking to analyse the issues and make
intelligent suggestions was stunning."
“I found it validating. It helped to
develop the structure of the business. I
enjoyed the networking too, learning
about others.”
“It was really empowering and helped
me believe in myself – and here I am,
still doing it!”
Thank you!
The Social Enterprise Exchange 2019-2023
programme has been supported by the
European Regional Development Fund and
the National Lottery Community Fund.
It has been delivered in partnership by
Cultural Industries Quarter Agency, South
Social Enterprise Network and Barnsley
Community and Voluntary Services.
We are grateful to all who have contributed
including workshop and conference speakers
and facilitators, enterprise advisors, grants
many social entrepreneurs who have shared
their journey and enriched our experience.
Report design by Mantra Media
Further information:
e. info@socentxchange.net
w. www.socentxchange.net