Abstract
The study is relevant given the growing role of social entrepreneurship as a tool to address socially significant problems, expand employment opportunities for socially vulnerable groups, and shape a more inclusive model of economic development in Kazakhstan. Despite the regulatory establishment of social entrepreneurship and the active expansion of the state support system, the sector's further development is hindered by financial, institutional, and regional constraints. The study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current state of social entrepreneurship in the Republic of Kazakhstan, to analyse the effectiveness of existing state support mechanisms, and to identify promising directions for its further development. The empirical basis consisted of data from the national register of social entrepreneurship entities, official statistics on employment and entrepreneurship, regulatory and legal documents, and the results of an author’s survey of 200 social entrepreneurs conducted in April–May 2026. The study applied descriptive statistics, time series analysis, spatial and cluster analyses, Likert-scale rating assessments, factor analysis using the principal component method, and elements of socio‑economic modelling. It has been established that between 2021 and 2026, the number of social entrepreneurship entities increased from 45 to 1,780, indicating a high rate of institutionalisation in the sector. At the same time, significant regional concentration has been identified: 29% of social enterprises are concentrated in Astana and Almaty. The main barriers are limited access to financing (78% of respondents), lack of awareness (65%), and bureaucratic procedures (58%). State grants and interest rate subsidies are recognised as the most effective forms of support. The practical significance of the results lies in the justification of measures to promote social investment, digitalisation of support, intersectoral partnership, and differentiated regional policy.