The Blue Economy concept seeks to promote economic growth, social inclusion, and the preservation or improvement of livelihoods while at the same time ensuring environmental sustainability of the ocean and coastal areas.

To realize this, Non-Governmental Organisations were introduced to the social enterprise concept to enable the creation of sustainable and innovative enterprises/businesses that can positively impact sustainable livelihoods, specifically the most vulnerable. In addition, this was recognized as a further way of examining alternative funding modalities to attend to organisational sustainability and at the same time promote an inclusive or whole of society approach to the growth and development of the Blue Economy and the eco-tourism sub sectors.