Addtional £0.5 million to support new not-for-profit companies
Individuals looking to start up new businesses that improve people’s life chances will continue to benefit from dedicated funding and support. The Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund will receive a further £500,000 from April to find and nurture entrepreneurs with a social or environmental mission.
Under the Fund, people with ideas for viable businesses that can help vulnerable people can apply for advice, support and start-up funding. Since its launch in 2009, the Social Entrepreneurs Fund has helped more than 280 people test and develop their enterprising ideas.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Alex Neil was today at one of Edinburgh’s Social Bite cafés, where pre-paid meals feed the homeless and its profits go to charity. Around a third of Social Bite’s employees have suffered from homelessness.
The Social Entrepreneurs Fund will be managed by business support company Firstport.
Mr Neil said: “Social enterprises do tremendous work to help the most vulnerable people by improving their confidence and boosting skills, while tackling inequalities in society and growing the economy.
“The Social Entrepreneurs Fund has already made a huge difference to the lives of many. and our sustained investment will help ensure that social entrepreneurs get the support they need to get their businesses off the ground.
“Social Bite is just one great example of how the Fund is helping new business go from strength to strength. Already a popular café and having smashed its Christmas appeal to give homeless people meals, it’s looking to expand and is great role model for other businesses to follow.”
Social Bite hit the headlines over the holiday period when a social media appeal to give homeless people a Christmas dinner went viral – the social enterprise had hoped to raise enough money to pay for 800 plates of turkey over Christmas by asking for £5 donations but instead received enough for more than 36,000 dinners!
Josh Littlejohn of Social Bite said: “Social Bite has greatly benefited from the funding and advice provided by Firstport and the Social Entrepreneurs Fund. We now employ 45 people, including 14 from homeless backgrounds and importantly our customers have the benefit of knowing that they are supporting a good cause when they purchase food from our shops.
“I believe that social enterprise will become a bigger part of the economy and will be able to take on the big profit maximising chains.”
The Minister also met Bruce Gunn, owner of socially-driven courier company Delivered Next Day Personally and Fiona MacNeil, owner of Gilded Lily which runs programmes to support women from disadvantaged backgrounds into social enterprise during his visit.
Firstport chief executive Karen McGregor said: “Recent economic challenges means that social problems in Scotland are more pressing than ever. This has driven an even stronger interest in the concept of social entrepeneurship and it’s ability to transform lives and communities.
“We are delighted that the Scottish Government recognises this potential by further investment in the Social Entrepeneurs Fund, which combined with Firstport’s free business advice and resources, really strengthens the support available to budding social entrepreneurs throughout Scotland.”
