Communities secretary Aileen Campbell said the investment will help 21 programmes across the world deliver real change in their areas.

The funding will also help address the global climate emergency by making £500,000 available through the Social Entrepreneurs Fund to offer repayable grants to social enterprises with a focus on environmental impact.

Ms Campbell announced the funding while addressing the 2019 Social Enterprise World Forum in Ethiopia. With over 1,200 delegates from 40 countries in attendance, the internationally renowned conference brings together policymakers, social enterprise leaders and the private sector to create new partnerships.

Ms Campbell said: “Social enterprises at home and abroad make a valuable economic and social impact to our communities.

“This £1.8m funding will support projects working to bring about real change in their communities. From tackling poverty and inequality to supporting new skills and opportunities, these projects will help us develop a wellbeing economy - where social and commercial goals go hand in hand to create a fairer, more equal society.

“The 2019 Social Enterprise World Forum provides an opportunity to showcase Scotland as a world-leading social enterprise nation, building upon our legacy as the 2018 host as well as strengthening our cultural and trading links with Ethiopia.”

£1,893,558 million will be split across 21 programmes. They are:

• Community Capacity and Resilience Fund to provide grants to small grass-roots organisations tackling inequality and mitigating the impacts of poverty
• Social Enterprise in Education programme to develop the potential of Scotland’s universities to stimulate new social enterprise start-ups
• Community Shares Scotland to help communities raise capital locally and democratically and make investments in new or growing social enterprises
• Partnership for Procurement to continue to support smaller third sector organisations to form partnerships and bid for larger public sector contracts
• SE Adult Learning Programme to provide subsidised learning opportunities for around 890 third sector learners this year, with a focus on rural locations
• Beyond Aid Social Enterprise Project to establish social enterprise hubs in the  Scottish Government priority countries of Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda, as part of our strategic approach to international development
• Retail Academy 2020 to support product-facing social enterprises gain access to larger retail and corporate markets, putting social enterprise products on shelves
• International HQ Grant Programme to support two international social enterprises, the International Network of Street Papers and Homeless World Cup
• ASSIST to provide the enterprising third sector with practical advice and support to help them consider and – where appropriate   – take on social investment
• Participation for Equality to support innovative work led by the third sector to ‘open-up’ budgetary processes and involve disabled people in decision-making
• Bridge 2 Business to work with young people in colleges across Scotland and help them learn about, and start, campus-based social enterprises
• Community Learning and Development Project to continue a ‘train-the-trainer’ programme aimed at boosting social enterprise knowledge within the CLD sector
• The Growth Partnership to help identify and test new innovative approaches to social investment and commissioning, including the use of ‘Social Impact Bonds’
• Out of the Blue to help a well-established social enterprise test a new model which will provide learning and employment opportunities for young people
• Remade Network to respond to the climate emergency and identify and support entrepreneurs across Scotland with the potential to start local ‘Remakeries’
• South Ayrshire SEN to ‘re-boot’ social enterprise activity in South Ayrshire, working closely with Senscot and the local Third Sector Interface
• Social Value Lab to deliver consultation and engagement across Scotland to inform the design and delivery of a second Social Enterprise Action Plan
• Two ‘Rapid Response’ Learning Projects for the Third Sector with a sharp focus on two priority issues: gender equality in enterprise and the climate emergency
• Social Enterprise Places Scheme to identify and celebrate local places across Scotland, like Callander, whose communities are driving forward the social enterprise movement
• Climate Emergency Fund as part of the Social Entrepreneurs Fund to support social enterprises with a focus on environmental impact
• Scottish Borders local fund to provide social enterprises in the Borders with seed funding.