Supporting Scotland’s growing community of social entrepreneurs, Firstport are excited to announce the launch of the Community Enterprise Fund, a new grant programme offering up to £5000 to help community organisations take the first steps toward starting a social enterprise. Funded by the Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund, this grant supports early-stage ideas that aim to generate income and reinvest profits to deliver social good.

The Community Enterprise Fund is for constituted third sector or community groups based in Scotland, and organisations not yet trading regularly but with a strong business model and social mission. Funding support will include start-up costs such as legal fees, rent, branding, website development, insurance, equipment, and more.

Firstport are especially keen to support proposals that:

Show a clear income generation plan
Address a social or environmental issue
Are driven by a passionate and capable team

To help you learn more, Karen Fitzsimmons, Firstport’s Relationship Manager, will host two short online information sessions where she’ll walk through the fund’s purpose, eligibility, and application process. To book your place at an information session, please visit the relevant Microsoft Events page (linked as dates below):

If groups need help developing their idea, support is available through Just Enterprise. For any questions, please contact the Firstport team by emailing: info@firstport.org.uk.