Big Society Capital: Ideas for Impact
Overview
Who can apply?
If you're a UK-based fund manager, charity or a social enterprise with an innovative social impact investment idea that can make a difference, they want to hear from you.
Ideas they are looking for
Big Society Capital are looking for social impact investment ideas with the greatest potential to have a transformative impact on a social issue at scale. Ideas could relate to changing a part of the existing investment system that does not work, bringing together partners in new ways, or aligning the needs of charities, social enterprises and investors with a solution that is more effective than those currently available.
What is on offer
For a small number of ideas selected by their panel, they will offer:
- Development funding of between £15k - £30k (inclusive of VAT) per idea, depending on its stage of development.
- Up to 6 days of in-kind support and connections from a member of the Big Society Capital team to help develop the idea
The total development funding available for this call is £150k. This forms a large proportion of Big Society Capital’s research and consultancy budget, which they are keen to put to work externally.
Ideas they will prioritise
- They are looking for social impact investment ideas with the greatest potential to have a transformative impact on a social issue at scale.
- Big Society Capital’s mission means they can only support ideas where there is a potential route for social investment to be part of the solution applicants are trying to address. Though they are open to the issues being tackled and the route to get there, applicants must be able to demonstrate a plausible path/ thesis for a social investment as part of the solution.
- They will prioritise ideas with potential for replication and scaling where a fund (or similar structure that can bring together a variety of investors and multiple enterprises) is part of the solution.
- If receiving applications from charities and social enterprises, they will prioritise those who have identified a fund manager to work with.