Deadline: 8-Nov-22
Applications are now open for the Enterprise Development Programme (EDP) – a five-year programme, funded by Access – The Foundation for Social Investment. It is managed by a coalition of partners, including multiple infrastructure bodies (sector leads) and Social Investment Business as a strategic grant partner.
Support from the program enables organizations to grow financial resilience and impact by providing a mixture of grant and learning support to help develop and grow enterprise ideas.
Funding Information
- The opportunity to apply for a grant to develop your enterprise idea. Grants of up to £30k are awarded, subject to agreed conditions, milestones, and evidence of growing trading income.
Items
- A bespoke learning and training sessions co-designed by you and your sector- lead.
- Extensive peer-learning and networking opportunities.
- Pro bono legal expertise to guide you through the legal considerations of trading.
- Pro bono financial expertise to help you develop robust financial management processes
- Opportunities to attend wider-sector learning events
Eligibility Criteria
- Organisations applying to programme must meet the following criteria:
- Be a registered organisation with a clear stated mission to support environmental issues (as indicated in your organisation’s governing/constitutional documents or mission/visioning statements). This can include climate change, biodiversity, natural heritage, conservation, reducing waste, food security, reducing CO2, reducing use of natural resources, etc. This does not include organisations who do not have an environmental mission who wish to develop an environmental trading model.
- Must be a social enterprise, charity or not-for-profit company registered and operating for at least 2 years. The programme does not support sole traders or private businesses.
- Must be based in and delivering work in England with the majority of beneficiaries and customers also in England.
- Able to provide the last full year of accounts.
- Have an annual revenue of no more than £1.5M.
- Distribute less than 50% of post-tax profits and reinvest at least 51% of surpluses into pursuing a clear social mission and have a constitutional or contractual lock on their social mission, dividend, and surplus distribution policy (also known as an asset lock).
- Income from statutory bodies is a maximum of 80% of your total income (i.e., highlighting a diversification of income streams rather than a single source of income).
- Be interested in exploring new trading business models to help build financial resilience but require an initial grant and learning support to get these ideas off the ground. The long-term goal of applicants may be to take on social investment but that isn’t a requirement for a place on EDP.
- Should be able to commit to taking an active part in the training and network opportunities for a minimum of 12 months, contributing to the learning and research aspects of the Programme, which can be shared within the sector. They expect this to be a maximum of 6 hours per month.
- Can evidence current trading activities, which require support / development and commitment from senior management and the Board.
- Have appropriate policies relevant to your organisation and services or a commitment to put in place (e.g., Safeguarding, DBS checks, volunteering, health and safety, risks etc.).
- Funding cannot be used for activities that promote religious or political purposes.
- If you are a faith-based organisation, you can apply but your services must be open to people of all or no faith.
- Priority will be given to organisations that can evidence the involvement / influence of lived experience or coproduction in development of services and enterprising activities.
- If you are currently or have previously received Reach Funding or have an existing relationship with a social investor, please consider whether the Enterprise Development Programme support is required in addition. They will consider applications from organisations who have received Reach Funding or have an existing relationship with a social investor on a case-by-case basis, as they understand that in some circumstances the need for EDP support in addition can be demonstrated.
For more information, visit https://www.enterprisedevelopmentprogramme.org.uk/environment/