1. There are varying definitions and estimates of the number of social enterprises in the UK, leading to confusion over their scale and nature. 2. Estimates from different studies between 2003-2008 reported the number of social enterprises ranging from 5,300 to over 220,000, depending on the definition used. 3. The contested nature of social enterprise leads to opportunities for strategic communication to different audiences but also risks that lack clarity over their goals and impacts.