Deadline: 9-Jan-23
As part of the Social Enterprise Exchange programme, South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation is managing a small grants scheme to support start-up and existing social enterprises.
Funding Information
-
Accelerate Grants for social enterprise start-ups
- start-up funding including ICT and marketing costs
- grants available between £1,000 and £1,500
- enterprises must have registered within the last 12 months
- must show a good business case to generate income from trading
-
Transform Grants for existing social enterprises
- seed finance to support fundraising and investment
- grants available between £1,000 and £5,000
- enterprises must have been in existence for at least 12 months
- convincing business case for developing a new product or service, or for scaling-up, with a high probability of creating additional sustainable jobs
- Note: Transform grants requests in excess of £1,500 require a match funding contribution by the applicant
Types of activities that will be funded
- ICT equipment
- Marketing and publicity costs
- Professional fees, where the support is not otherwise available through the business advice and support services of Social Enterprise Exchange
Eligibility Criteria
- Proposals that contribute to resilience and energy efficiency and/or respond to the cost of living crisis are particularly welcomed.
- All grant applicants are required in the first instance to have registered for social enterprise support with the Social Enterprise Exchange programme and to have been accepted either on the Accelerate strand for social enterprise start-ups or the Transform strand for existing social enterprises.
- Grants are only available as part of a package of support and following completion of an initial business diagnostic. To apply for a grant you will need to have available your unique Social Enterprise Exchange ID which should be provided to you by your lead advisor.
- If you have previously registered for support in the first phase of the Social Enterprise Exchange programme you will need to re-register in order to be eligible for business support and the small grants scheme.
- If you are seeking grant support but do not register with or are not accepted on to the new phase of the Social Enterprise Exchange programme then you will not be eligible to apply for a grant.
- To be accepted on the Social Enterprise Exchange programme you will need to have a registered address or an operational address in one of the local authorities of Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Doncaster, North East Derbyshire, Rotherham, or Sheffield, and to be starting up or already operating a social enterprise.
- Have a minimum of three unrelated directors/trustees, aged over 18.
Award Criteria
Eligible applicants will be selected for a grant award on the basis of the following equally weighted award criteria:
- Strength of the business case and commercial viability
- Skills and competences of the team
- Expected social impact of the business including jobs created
- Sales and marketing strategy
- Value for money
Ineligible
Grants will not be awarded to:
- Individuals, partnerships, or any structure with less than 3 unrelated directors
- Statutory organisations, including schools
- Private companies limited by shares
- Religious or political organisations
For more information, visit South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation.