*The Social Enterprise Support Fund is now closed
ABOUT THE FUND
The Social Enterprise Support Fund provides essential financial support to help social enterprises in England to rebuild and grow their income from trading, following the impact of COVID-19.
The Social Enterprise Support Fund is focused on social enterprises supporting people facing increased social and economic challenges as a result of COVID-19.
We will support them in evolving and growing sustainable community services, in the face of ongoing disruption from COVID-19.
The Social Enterprise Support Fund is a two-year project, delivered by Big Issue Invest, Key Fund, Resonance, the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and UnLtd, in partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund.
Thanks to National Lottery players, The National Lottery Community Fund has committed £18m to the partnership, which will offer vital and rapid financial support to more than 500 businesses focused on supporting their communities to recover from the pandemic.
This has been made possible thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.
Key Facts
IMPACT FOCUS: People who are at high risk from COVID-19 and/or who are most likely to face increased challenges as a result of COVID-19. In particular those which are led by or providing support to people from Black and Asian, ethnic minorities, LGBTQI+ communities, disabled people, and leaders with lived experience of the particular issues the enterprise is addressing.
FUND SIZE: £16.3m in grants from the National Lottery Community Fund
GRANT SIZE: £10,000 to £100,000
WHO CAN APPLY?: Social Enterprises in England with an annual income between £20,000 - £1.8m in either of the last two financial years.
WHEN: Applications from 1pm 28th February 2022 until 1pm 24th March 2022.
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This crisis continues to disproportionately hurt communities who already experience social and economic inequalities. We will be funding social entrepreneurs who support these communities, including leaders with lived experience. We will ensure they can put their solutions into practice to help people most impacted by the crisis.
The UK’s 100,000 social enterprises will be at the heart of community recovery from this crisis. Social enterprises create economic growth while helping people in need or improving the environment.
Social enterprises employ two million people. They create jobs for the most vulnerable people. Almost half (42%) of UK social enterprises seek to employ people who are typically disadvantaged in the labour market - such as those with disabilities, care leavers, ex-offenders, homeless people and veterans. (Source)
Social enterprises have been hit doubly by this crisis. Vulnerable people need their support more than ever. But they are struggling to make enough income to help people, as their trading activities have taken such a knock.
The fund is for social enterprises if most of their beneficiaries are in England, with an annual income between £20,000 and £1.8 million in either of the last 2 financial years. The Social Enterprise Support Fund is focused on social enterprises supporting people facing increased social and economic challenges as a result of COVID-19.
The fund is committed to inclusion, working to ensure that the grants reach groups that are led by people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, LGBTQI+ communities, disabled people, and/or leaders with lived experience of the issues that the social enterprise is addressing.
The fund has set itself a target of ensuring that at least 50% of grants are awarded to social enterprises led by disabled people and / or people from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background.
A lived experience leader is someone who uses their first-hand experience of a social issue to create positive change for, and with, communities and people they share those experiences with.
Social Enterprise Support Fund is a two-year project, delivered by Big Issue Invest, Key Fund, Resonance, the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and UnLtd, in partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, The National Lottery Community Fund has committed £18m to the partnership, which will offer vital and rapid financial support to more than 500 social enterprises focused on supporting their communities to recover from the pandemic. This funding will help these enterprises to provide and improve services to some of the most marginalised groups and ensure these are sustainable at a time of economic uncertainty.
THIS FUND IS NOW CLOSED
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE SUPPORT FUND WEBSITE
View our inclusivity and diversity policy
for the application process
SESF PRIVACY & COOKIES (applicants 2020)
