Other funding and support available for social entrepreneurs

The social entrepreneurship ecosystem is vast, and we want to help you find the right support for you and your enterprise. Below we have listed other organisations who might be able to help you progress in your journey

Grants and investment

Esmée Fairbairn

One of the UK’s largest independent funders focused on improving our natural world, securing a fairer future, and strengthening communities.

  • Grants from £50,000 to £100,000
  • Average investments of £430,000

Foundation for Future London

A funder for the East London boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest, supporting local people and communities to benefit from the arts, education, culture, innovation and placemaking.

  • Grants from £5,000 to £50,000

Friends Provident Foundation

A charity that provides flexible grants and investments towards a fair and sustainable economic system, focusing particularly on social enterprises tackling the root problems behind complex challenges like inequality, poverty, and climate breakdown.

Funding Wales

A funding search platform created by Third Sector Support Wales with hundreds of grant and loan finance opportunities for charities, community groups or social enterprises through their free online search engine.

Lankelly Chase Foundation

An organisation that funds people, organisations and networks taking action to change systems of injustice and oppression that result in the mental distress, violence and destitution of people subject to marginalisation in the UK.

  • Grants from £10,000 to £350,000

Schwab Foundation

A global platform to promote social entrepreneurship as a key element to advance societies and address social problems.

Skoll Foundation

An organisation that accelerates entrepreneurial approaches and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

Bethnal Green Ventures

Europe’s leading Venture Capital (VC) firm, investing in ambitious early-stage tech for good founders.

Big Issue Invest

The UK’s first ‘social merchant bank’ on a mission to finance the growth of sustainable social enterprises.

Good Finance

An organisation helping charities and social enterprise navigate the world of investment and connect with the right investors.

Nesta Impact Investment

A branch of Nesta providing financial, knowledge and network capital to innovative tech ventures tackling school readiness, obesity, household carbon emissions and productivity.

  • Investments from £500,000 to £1 million

Social Investment Business

An organisation that offers grants, loans and flexible support to social enterprises making a positive difference to the communities they work within.

  • Loans from £15,000 to £1.5 million
  • Grants from £5,000 to £15,000

Social Investment Scotland

A social enterprise and charity offering loan funding and business support for social enterprises, charities, and community groups.

  • Flexible loans from £10,000 to £1.3 million

Learning, coaching and mentoring support

Acumen Academy
A training organisation unleashing a new generation of social innovators and leaders ready to build a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world.

Directory of Social Change

Their training covers a wide range of issues such as fundraising, governance, finance, personal development, communication, management, and leadership.

Future Learn

An online learning platform offering bite-sized, flexible learning on a range of topics including social innovation and entrepreneurship.

The School for Social Entrepreneurs

An organisation that runs courses for people to start, scale and strengthen organisations that make a positive difference. They also provide funding and mentoring.

  • Grants from £5,000 to £10,000

Ashoka

A global organisation that identifies and invests in social entrepreneurs. Their global support network and changemakers school are equipping hundreds of people with the skills and support they need to make change.

Business in the Community

The UK’s largest and most influential responsible business network dedicated to building a fairer and greener world together.

Cwmpas

A Welsh social enterprise support organisation providing one-to-one specialist business advice focusing on setting up new social enterprises.

Expert impact

An organisation providing business mentors for social entrepreneurs and impactful speakers for any kind of event.

Impact Hub

An organisation supporting networks innovators and entrepreneurs across the globe through accelerators, incubators, and other support programs.

Locality

The national membership network supporting local community organisations to be strong and successful, providing specialist advice, peer-learning, resources, and campaigns to help every community thrive.

Power to Change

Providing community businesses with the support network, learning and flexible funding to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges.

  • Grants from £10,000 to £25,000

Senscot

An organisation that supports local and national networks for social entrepreneurs in Scotland.

Social Enterprise NI

The representative body for social enterprises and social entrepreneurs across Northern Ireland. Connecting, supporting, developing and sustaining vibrant businesses to create social change.

Social Enterprise UK

A leading global authority on social enterprise and large network of social enterprises in the UK. Explore their directory for learning resources and tools.