Exploring the development of Social Capital for Innovation within Rural Enterprise

The overall aim is to explore the role of business support programmes in aiding the development of agri-food firms’ social capital and to analyse the mediating role that this social capital may have on agri-food firms innovation capabilities. This paper is part of a wider PhD, and this specific paper aims to present a critical review of current literature relating to social capital, business support programmes and innovation capabilities within the context of the rural agri-food sector. As a result, a conceptual framework is developed and presented, and research questions are posed which will help future research to explore how business support programmes can more effectively aid the development of agri-food owners’ social capital and innovation capabilities.