The following sections introduce the study and context of the study site. The chapter also provides a brief introduction to the key concepts and the rationale for the research in order to establish the groundwork for the remainder of the thesis. The research questions are provided to guide the discussion and conclusion, the structure of the thesis is also explained. Slovenia became a member of the European Union (EU) in May 2004 and has adopted a gradualist approach to transformation. As an ex-Balkan state, it is arguably an ideal example of a country and economy that needed social change. With unemployment levels some of the highest in Europe, social inequality high and the legacy of poorly implemented socialism, the country had a long way to go to fit into the mould of a democratic neoliberal state to fit into the EU. Very early on in the transition towards mainstream Europe, Slovenia jumped on the social enterprise bandwagon. In 2009, social enterprise was first formally introduced in Slovenia, when it participated in an EU-funded pilot programme. By 2010 there were 260 registered social enterprises set up in the country, striving to solve numerous social ills (Database on Slovenian Social Enterprises, Updated 2019).