Tag Archive for: CIC

Social Value Investment / CPCA/ on-going

The Social Impact Investment Fund (SIIF) is a £2.375 million fund dedicated to supporting charities and social enterprises in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough region. Funded by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) and managed by Allia, this innovative programme provides capital grants and loans to social and third sector organisations.

The SIIF was created to bridge the gap between what social ventures need and what traditional finance offers. We understand that many impactful organisations struggle to access patient and flexible capital that prioritises their mission to deliver social value over financial returns.

The SIIF is here to change that. By offering grants and social loans, the SIIF provides tailored support that empowers social ventures to achieve both their social and financial objectives, while fostering community development and economic growth.

Social Impact: To support organisations that create significant positive social outcomes

Financial Sustainability: To create a model for sustainable future social investment, particularly for those who cannot access traditional financial solutions

Good Growth: To stimulate economic and social development in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area.

The SIIF offers three key funding instruments:

  1. Grants: Non-repayable funds of £10,000 – £25,000; Best suited for charities or early-stage social enterprises with high social impact potential.
  2. Social Loans: Affordable loans of £10,000 – £75,000; Best suited for growing social ventures who want to transition to more commercial forms of capital.
  3. Revenue Participation Agreements (RPAs): An innovative funding model where capital of £10,000 – £75,000 is provided in exchange for a share of future revenues over a period; Best suited for revenue-generating organisations looking to grow without the pressure of traditional debt.

Grants are well-suited for non-profits or early-stage social ventures, while loans and RPAs are designed to drive growth and instil financial discipline in early to mid-stage companies, positioning them for larger, more traditional forms of capital, such as debt and equity.

To apply for any of the funding options under the Social Impact Investment Fund (SIIF), your organisation must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Location: Your organisation must be based in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) region, including Peterborough, Fenland, Huntingdonshire, East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire, and Cambridge.

Social Impact Mission: Your organisation should have a clear social impact mission and a commitment to creating positive social outcomes in the local community, especially in line with CPCA’s aims to reduce inequality, create jobs, boost the economy, affordable housing, and build environmental resilience.

Capital Use: The grant and loan funding must be used for capital projects that contribute to growth, development, or expansion of the organisation, such as new product development, entering new markets, or increasing operational capacity to serve more customers and beneficiaries.

Financial Viability: Applicants must demonstrate financial stability and a realistic plan for sustainability.

Compliance: Organisations must comply with relevant legal, regulatory, and governance requirements, including subsidy control rules, as applicable.

https://futurebusinesscentre.co.uk/programmes/cpca-social-impact-investment-fund/

Brunel University / Innovation / Rolling

Brunel Innovation Voucher Scheme Supports UK Organisations in Innovation

Brunel University London is offering the Brunel Innovation Voucher Scheme to support collaborative projects aimed at developing new products, processes, or services that foster innovation and growth within organisations.

The scheme provides vouchers valued at between £1,000 and £5,000, which cover specific academic project costs at the university. Participating organisations are required to contribute an equivalent value, either in cash or in kind, such as staff time, materials, or equipment.

The scheme is open to SMEs, social enterprises, and third sector organisations based in the UK, offering them an opportunity to collaborate with academic experts to drive innovation within their operations.

Applications are open on a rolling basis.

https://www.brunel.ac.uk/business/Help-for-SMEs/Innovation-Voucher-Scheme

Young People’s Programme / The Allan Lane Foundation/ Apply anytime

The Allan Lane Foundation

Funding to Support Disadvantaged Young People (UK – excl Greater London)

 

What is available?

The Allan Lane Foundation is offering grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 to charities and not-for-profit organisations working with young people aged 12-21 who are socially excluded or marginalised, and who may have experienced significant issues within their lives.

The grants can be used to support a range of activities, including core costs, project work, and capital expenditure.

The Foundation is particularly interested in supporting organisations that focus their work on:

• Young people within the criminal justice system or those at risk of offending

• Looked after children or care leavers

• Those with significant mental health concerns or complex needs

• Young people who have been traumatised by challenging family backgrounds, neglect, violence or abuse

• Those that have fallen through the gaps in care and/or education

• Those already affected by, or vulnerable to, exploitation

• Whose experiences could seriously impact their transition into adulthood

 

Who can apply?

To maximise the impact of its grants, the Foundation will only fund smaller organisations. Organisations that work across a local area, such as a village, estate, or town, must have an annual income of less than £100,000 to be eligible. Organisations that work across the entire UK must have an annual income of less than £250,000 to be eligible.

 

A small number of grants have already been awarded to work with young people, including funding for a crisis drop-in for young people who have been sexually abused in Dundee; a young parents project in Bolton; funding for a youth worker to support teenagers with autism in Northern Ireland; a drama and arts project aimed at young people with a history of offending in Jaywick, Essex.

 

How to apply

Applications can be submitted at any time.

The next meeting an application could be considered at is in October 2024.

To find out more and apply please visit: Young People’s Programme – The Allen Lane Foundation