Community Business Trade Up Programme

Description

A business development learning programme and match trading grant are available to support locally rooted community businesses in England to become stronger and more sustainable.

Current Status: Open for Applications

Maximum value: £ 10,000

Objectives of Fund

The programme aims to support early stage community businesses across England by helping them to:

• Grow a stronger, more sustainable community business or project.
• Recover and rebuild income from trading and sales.
• Benefit from time to reflect and map out next steps.
• Improve leadership and business skills.
• Build a local support network of other people running similar organisations.

Due to the impact of the pandemic, Power to Change and SSE have adapted the programme in three ways:

• Applications from those hit hardest by Covid-19 will be prioritised. In particular, community businesses that are led by black, Asian and minority ethnic groups (BAME), support BAME communities and/or located in and giving support to very deprived or disadvantaged local communities. This year, the Ubele Initiative is working with Power to Change and SSE to ensure funding reaches the widest range of people and communities.
• Programme participants each receive a Trade Back grant up to £10,000. Created by the SSE in response to the pandemic, Trade Back is a new type of grant that incentivises social organisations to trade, while supporting them to recover and rebuild. Trade Back grants match ‘pound-for-pound’ any increase in income from trading above Covid period levels.
• Programme content will be co-designed with community business leaders to ensure it is relevant to the needs of community businesses through and beyond the new pandemic economy, with a focus on digitisation.

Value Notes

The following are available:

• A free learning programme, to help community businesses recover and rebuild their income and impact.
• Trade Back grants of up to £10,000.
• Peer support. An opportunity to meet regularly with other people running similar organisations with an eye to helping each other out

Trade Back grants match ‘pound-for-pound’ an increase in income from trading above COVID-19 period levels.

For this programme the Trade Back grant is made up of two parts:

• A £4,000 traditional grant to kick-start recovery efforts and support putting into practice new ideas and initiatives.
• Then access to an incentivised grant of up to £6,000 to accelerate growth by rewarding an increase in income from trading. It’s similar to the Match Trading grants which match an increase in income from trading and sales, pound-for-pound.

For further information on this grant please visit their website here School for Social Entrepreneurs – Community Business Trade Up Programme