About
Social Investment Business uses finance to build stronger communities and a fairer society. They work with charities and social enterprises across the UK, providing a mix of funding and practical, tailored support to organizations tackling inequality, improving lives, and driving positive change. As one of the UK's largest social investors, they've deployed and managed over £800 million in loans and grants since 2002, reaching more than 6,000 organisations across the UK. Their work is driven by three core priorities: unlocking energy resilience, transforming public services, and strengthening community assets like housing, community buildings and land.
Funding Opportunities
Community Builders Fund
The Community Builders Fund provides loans of between £100k and £1.5m to UK charities and social enterprises based in England, Wales and Scotland. The fund is supported by the Government guarantee scheme – Growth Guarantee Scheme. The fund was established to make it easier for charities and social enterprises to benefit from the Government's guarantee scheme, with initial investment from SIB and the Fusion21 Foundation. Additional investors include The Archbishop's Council, Big Society Capital, MFS Investment Management, and Treebeard Trust, taking funds raised to date to £21.5m. The fund is designed for UK charities and social enterprises improving people's lives or the environment they live in. Loans range from £100k to £1.5m (or from £50k for organizations in Wales and Scotland) with repayment terms of 1-6 years at a fixed 7.9% per annum interest rate. The fund offers flexible repayment options including an optional capital repayment holiday of up to 12 months and no early pre-payment fees. Eligible organizations must be legally constituted and registered charities or social enterprises based in England, Wales, or Scotland, operating for at least two years, with minimum turnover of £400k in the last financial year (or £200k if based in Scotland or Wales). Organizations must be primarily constituted for social benefit and not subject to any insolvency proceedings. SIB works with experienced social investor partners to deliver the fund, including Big Issue Invest, Charity Bank, Co-operative & Community Finance, and others.
Reach Fund
The Reach Fund helps charities and social enterprises raise investment by offering grants on average between £5,000 and £15,000. The grant is aimed at helping these organisations provide the final information that investors need before they can invest. The fund is designed for organisations that are close to raising repayable finance for a specific purpose and have a social investor who has indicated there is information missing that is preventing them from making an investment offer. Applicants must be charities or social enterprises located in England that are looking to raise repayable financing in the next 6-12 months. Eligible organisations must have a clear social mission, 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. The fund can only be accessed through a referral from an Access Point, which are social investors approved by the Reach Fund. The programme is funded by Access – The Foundation for Social Investment and is managed by Social Investment Business.
Energy Resilience Fund
The Energy Resilience Fund (ERF) provides a blended funding package of loan (60%) and grant (40%) to bolster the energy resilience of eligible charities and social enterprises in England. The Fund is delivered by a partnership made up of Social Investment Business, Big Issue Invest, Charity Bank, Co-operative and Community Finance, Groundwork UK, Key Fund, Resonance Ltd, The Architectural Heritage Fund, and The Ubele Initiative. The Fund is the successor to the pilot Energy Resilience Fund managed by Key Fund. The funding can be used for installing energy saving measures or generation technology to buildings/land (including new builds), and/or purchasing energy efficient or environmentally friendly vehicles or equipment. This includes paying for a wide range of aspects that may be required to successfully undertake the projects, including capital costs, labour costs, project management costs, revenue losses from disruption, building management systems, training in buildings management for staff, and contingency. The Fund provides amounts ranging from £25,000 to £250,000 (inclusive of 40% grant), with loan repayment terms of 2-10 years at an 8.5% fixed annual interest rate on the loan balance. If applying to install energy saving/generating measures to buildings/land and not already having a suitable Independent Energy Assessment, applicants will be referred to one of the fund's approved Energy Audit Suppliers for an assessment paid for by the fund. Support from the Centre for Sustainable Energy is also available to help ensure a well-thought-through and sufficiently developed funding request. Eligible organizations must be incorporated voluntary, community or social enterprise organizations based in England and serving communities primarily within England, constituted for social benefit and improving people's lives or the environments they live in. Organizations must have a minimum of 2 years' operating activity, a minimum turnover of £100k in their last set of end of year accounts, and be unable to access mainstream bank lending for this purpose.
At a Glance
- Total Funding Opportunities
- 3
- Active Now
- 3
- Source Domain
- sibgroup.org.uk
Catalog Data
This funder profile was automatically extracted from grant listings. Information may be incomplete.
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