Institutional environments are widely regarded as a crucial advantage of regions to promote social entrepreneurship. However, there is scarce empirical support on the importance of network relationships and the ties that bind, both institutions and social entrepreneurs. This study contributes to filling this gap by analyzing network relationships and the institutional environment in Portugal. A quantitative approach is used in the study, using primary data collected through an online survey. A questionnaire was emailed to both Portuguese Non-Governmental Organizations and projects available on the Portuguese Social Stock Exchange. In the analysis of the data, the authors used descriptive statistics and canonical correlation analysis in an attempt to examine the links between network relationships and the institutional environment. The results we got show that a favorable institutional environment is not independent of the decision to start a new social venture.