Environment Grant

The Enterprise Development Programme (EDP) is a five-year programme, funded by Access – The Foundation for Social Investment. It is managed by a coalition of partners, including multiple infrastructure bodies (sector leads) and Social Investment Business as a strategic grant partner.

Support from the programme enables organisations to grow financial resilience and impact by providing a mixture of grant and learning support to help develop and grow enterprise ideas.

Those interested in applying will have to share details of their enterprise ideas, along with details of why they want to become more enterprising, as well as explain how their enterprise idea will benefit their wider organisation, service users and community. Those applying to the Enterprise Development Programme should be aware that they are applying to be a part of a cohort of like-minded organisations. Successful applicants will be invited to work on co-designing a package of support.

Packages of support can include the following elements:

• Bespoke learning and training sessions co-designed by you and your sector- lead. • Extensive peer-learning and networking opportunities. • Access to a team of pro bono legal experts to act as a sounding board and guide you through the legal considerations of trading. • Opportunities to attend wider-sector learning events. • The opportunity to receive a grant to develop your enterprise idea. Grants of up to £30k can be awarded, subject to agreed conditions, milestones, and evidence of growing trading income.

Be an incorporated organisation with a clear stated mission to support environmental issues (as indicated in your organisation’s governing/constitutional documents). This means that organisations that are only registered charities without a company attached are not eligible to apply. Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) can apply.

• Must be a social enterprise, charity or not-for-profit company based and working in England and have been operating for at least 2 years. • Able to provide the last full year of accounts. • Have an annual revenue of between £50k and £1.5M. • Distribute less than 50% of post-tax profits and reinvest at least 51%of surpluses into pursuing their social mission and have a constitutional or contractual lock on their social mission, dividend, and surplus distribution policy (also known as an asset lock). • Not more than 80% of your income is from one statutory source • Be interested in exploring new trading business models to help build financial resilience but require an initial grant and learning support to get these ideas off the ground. The long-term goal of applicants may be to take on social investment but that isn’t a requirement for a place on EDP. • Can evidence current trading activities, which require support / development and commitment from senior management and the Board. Please note that funding cannot be used for activities that promote religious or political purposes. If you are a faith-based organisation, you can apply but your services must be open to people of all or no faith