The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) provides this free business development learning programme with a match trading grant of up to £4,000 to support locally rooted community businesses in England to become stronger and more sustainable.
This free learning programme will be a mix of online and four in-person sessions. The programme will run from 20 October 2025 to 31 July 2026.
Applications will be accepted from leaders of an early stage community business. This could be a charity, a Community Interest Company (CIC), a company, community benefit society or other group, which is led by and working for a local community in England.
To be eligible, applicants must be based in England with an income of less than £100,000 per year, established within the last one to five years and plan on starting or growing the income it makes from trading.
Applications are encouraged from organisations led by women, young people aged 18-35, racially minoritised communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, people with lived experiences of the issues their businesses seek to address and leaders working in areas of multiple deprivation. The programme also wants to ensure geographic representation from across England.
Organisations accepted onto the programme will receive a match trading grant of up to £4,000. The first £800 will be awarded up front. The remaining four instalments of up to £800 will be given over the year matched against the participant's increased trading.
Online information sessions will be held on 8 April (12:00 to 13:00) and 7 May (16:00 to 17:00).
The deadline for applications is 14 May 2025 (12noon).
Trading for Good: Community Business The School for Social Entrepreneurs
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