The Cabinet Office is to seek 20 social enterprise ‘ambassadors’ in a new programme.

Successful applicants will be invited to set an example to the rest of the sector.

Their stories will demonstrate how social enterprise can change people’s lives, according to the cabinet office, in a bid to attract new entrants to the sector.

Ed Miliband, minister for the Third Sector, said: "Social enterprise is a growing movement, but still only one in four people know about it.

"That means we are losing potential entrepreneurs, customers, and investors … We want to create an ambitious programme, owned by the sector, which will spread the message of what social enterprise can achieve throughout the country.

"Through their own stories and networks the ambassadors will help the movement achieve even more", he added.

The ambassadors, which the Cabinet Office says it will seek through an "open and transparent process" will be in place in time for the Social Enterprise Day on 15 November 2007.