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Help for social enterprises

Sources of information for social enterprises

GOV.UK

There is a lot of information and guidance on starting and running a social enterprise or CIC, statutory rights and obligations and government support products and services on GOV.UK, including the ability to search for support using the finance and support finder tool.

Find available grants

You can search for available grants using the following websites:

Social Enterprise UK

Social Enterprise UK are a leading authority on social enterprise, with the largest network of social enterprises in the UK.

Using their business relationships and working with some of the biggest companies in the UK, they support social enterprise through their supply chains, people and networks.

Ashfield Voluntary Action

Ashfield Voluntary Action provides support for voluntary and community groups throughout the district. They can help with setting up a new community group, assisting you to grow your organisation, sourcing funding, writing business grant applications, understanding governance policies and procedures.

Love Business News

Social enterprises, CICs and charities can get a free profile anchor page for 3 years on Love Business News, to help raise their profile and connect with businesses to support CSR opportunities. With more than 21,000 monthly business readers across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, this is a great chance to showcase what you do.

The Big Issue Invest

The Big Issue Invest helps social enterprises and charities by providing loans and investments. They have a special support package to assist social enterprises through the COVID-19 crisis. Your organisation must be trading for at least 24 months to be considered.

The Key Fund

The Key Fund support social enterprises in the Midlands with getting help securing finance through loans and grants, which will be used to improve local communities through economic and environmental impacts. These could be through projects such as restoring a derelict building, buying equipment, or meeting start-up costs.

Community Fund

National Lottery funding can help you to make a difference in your community. They offer funding from £300 to £10,000 to support what matters to people and communities.

Reaching Communities England

Reaching Communities England offers grant funding over £10,000 for projects that last up to 5 years. Money can be used for the purchasing, refurbishing, or developing of land and buildings, IT upgrades/purchases, or costs associated with delivering activities in your community.

The Peoples Health Trust

The Peoples Health Trust support local groups and organisations across UK who have great ideas to make their communities even better places to live in. They look for small projects seeking investment between £5000 and £50,000, lasting 2 years and which are run by local people. By small they mean a group of people on an estate, in a few streets or villages.

Seven Trent Community Fund

Seven Trent Water have a community fund that charities and community groups can apply for. The grants offered are between £2000 and £200,000.

This fund is aimed at:

  • People - Projects that help people to lead a healthier life and gain new skills.
  • Places - Projects that help to create better places to live in and use.
  • Environment - Projects that will help look after our natural environment, give people greater access to that environment, or help look after.

The Nottinghamshire Community Foundation

The Nottinghamshire Community Foundation is an independent charity set up to encourage philanthropy for the benefit of the people in Nottinghamshire. They can act as a broker between funders and community groups.

Screwfix Foundation

Screwfix currently offers local registered charities and not for profit organisations funding of up to £5000 to support projects that relate to repair, maintenance, improvement or construction of homes, community buildings and other buildings.

All applications are reviewed individually on a quarterly basis; the review dates are in March, June, September, and December.

Community Energy England

Community Energy England support community energy projects and have a lot of grants listed which can help local community groups with delivering environmental or energy projects which will make an impact.

Nottingham Energy Partnership (NEP) Energy Services

NEP Energy Services assist third sector organisations to become more energy efficient. They have worked with over 100 organisations including sports clubs and community centres. 100% of NEP Energy Services profits are reinvested in public health and carbon reduction projects.

The Community Ownership Fund

This fund aims to support greater ownership of community assets which support the social well being of communities, but may be at risk of loss. The fund will look at important parts of the local social fabric such as pubs, sports clubs, theatres, and post office buildings so they can continue to play a central role in communities. There is £150 million available which will be used over a 4 year period, until 2024/2025.

Last updated: 22 November 2023