Community Businesses in England Can Apply Now to the New Powering Up Programme

The application window for the first round runs from 10 November to 13 December 2021.

Power to Change’s new Powering Up programme will run over a four-year period with multiple rounds of funding.

The initial phase of the programme is focused on community businesses looking to learn how digital skills could help their business develop and grow. Other support areas will be included in the programme during 2022.

It is anticipated that up to 25 community businesses will receive a tailored support package worth up to £20,000 in total which includes:

• Paid access to support providers (up to £9,000) who are brokered in to meet the specific needs of their community businesses over a 12-month period.
• Professional development and wellbeing support (up to £3,000) such as leadership coaching, peer mentor, and mental health support. This support can be drawn down over the 12-month period of support.
• An £8,000 unrestricted grant to support community business leaders, and their team, to engage in the required support of the programme. This could be to cover their time, back fill a post, purchase essential equipment, or cover other expenditure that enables growth of their community business.

Applications will be considered from locally rooted community businesses that are registered and operating in England. They need to be incorporated, trading for at least 12 months, and seeking support to improve how their business uses digital to develop and grow.

Priority will be given to community businesses in the most deprived areas of England, as well as organisations that are led or predominantly working in communities with a high percentage of minoritised ethnicity.

For more information on the Powering Up fund please visit https://www.powertochange.org.uk/our-work/our-programmes/powering-up/#