Funding Available to Support Social Businesses Raise Finance through Community Share Issues
Power to Change, a charitable trust supporting community businesses in England, is offering funding through its Community Shares Booster Fund. This initiative aims to assist both new and existing community businesses at various stages of issuing community shares.
The fund provides support through several streams:
- Pre-grant support: Early-stage assistance to kickstart projects.
- Development grants: Ranging from £2,000 to £15,000 (average £5,000) for share offer preparation, covering financial planning, governance support, marketing costs, and Community Shares Standard Mark assessment
- Equity match investment: Typically, £20,000-£50,000, with a range of £10,000 to £100,000, matching community-raised funds once the minimum share offer target is met.
- Subscription underwriting: Co-operative and Community Finance (CCF) offers interest-free repayable loans for instalment-based share purchases over up to 12 months, with the society receiving full upfront investment.
- Loan finance: Power to Change facilitates access to loan finance from Co-operative and Community Finance through Booster Fund applications
The fund prioritises disadvantaged and underrepresented communities. It aims to empower local businesses that meet the critical needs of their communities by providing flexible financial solutions that enable community ownership and sustainable development.
The Community Shares Booster Fund is currently open for applications to the Pre-grant support, Development and Equity match investment funding streams. The next deadline is the 21st May 2025.
Useful Links:
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