Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity
Are you a community business? Are you based in England? If yes, then apply for the Community Shares Booster Fund to support new and existing community businesses in England that are at all stages of a community share issue.
The Community Shares Booster Fund is a funding scheme to support community share offers.
The programme is funded by Power to Change and Architectural Heritage Fund, and delivered in partnership with Coops UK, Locality, Plunkett Foundation and Co-operative and Community Finance.
What Can You Apply For?
- Development grants – averaging £5,000, to prepare a community share offer: financial planning, governance support, marketing costs and being awarded the Community Shares Standard Mark.
- Equity match investment – typically matching £1 for £1 up to £25,000 invested by the Booster Fund, providing the minimum share offer target is achieved.
- Community businesses that received Booster Fund equity investment will receive ongoing support and advice from Co-operatives UK as an active investor in community businesses.
Who are they looking to support?
- Disadvantaged and under-represented communities, particularly minoritised ethnicities and young people
- Projects that meet critical needs of their communities – they are particularly interested in project that address climate change issues and digital inclusion
- New and existing community businesses
- Business development support to access professional skills, particularly for those at the early stages of developing a community business proposal
- Development grants for community businesses needing support to prepare their community share offers and obtain the Community Shares Standard Mark
- Applications for equity match are open to community businesses that are investment ready, including those that have already launched their share offers
Eligibility Criteria
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To be considered for grant or equity funding applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Based in England. Not based in England?
- Have charitable purposes
- Have a trading model
- Show the values of a community business
- Rooted locally
- Accountable to the local community
- Trade for the benefit of the community
- Have broad community impact
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If not already a Community Benefit Society, a Charitable Community Benefit Society or a Co-operative Society, be willing to convert to one or set one up
- Exploring or aiming to issue a community share offer, or already launched a community share offer
- Book traversal links
For more information, visit Community Shares Booster Fund.
For more information, visit https://www.powertochange.org.uk/our-work/our-programmes/community-shares-booster/