Julian Blake has specialised, for over 28 years, in social enterprise, charity, responsible business, public service commissioning and delivery, and public policy implementation and innovation. Blending charity and business law disciplines, he was engaged throughout the progressive development of Social Enterprise, Social Finance, Social Value and Social Impact Measurement and their application to public policy. He promotes the European Commission Social Business Initiative perspective on Public Procurement and State Aid, challenging misconceptions. He is also a member of the Social Value Taskforce and the UK National Advisory Board Public Procurement Sub-group.

Julian is especially interested in the development of public service partnerships between social enterprise suppliers, commissioners and social finance institutions; place-based community initiatives; community and crowd funding; and the new “innovation partnership” procedure, with its unique feature of design and delivery within a single public service contract. He applies this approach particularly in the Community Transport, Education, Health and Social Care, Justice and Rehabilitation, and Renewable Energy sectors.

Julian has, since 2012, supported a Social Business International initiative, E3M, a group of pioneering chief executives running mature social enterprises and an associated group of progressive “Bold” commissioners. Before joining Stone King in 2018, Julian was co-head of Charity and Social Enterprise and led the development of cross-departmental sector groups at Bates Wells Braithwaite.