The £1 million Social Entrepreneurs Fund is aimed at individuals who want to set-up and run a business with a social and/or environmental purpose. It has been established by the Scottish Government and is administered by First Port. The fund will provide financial and business support to help get new enterprises off the ground. The fund opened in March 2009 and run until end of March 2011.

What is the funding for?
The fund will provide funding for individuals with a good business idea that they wish to develop using a social enterprise model.

The fund aims to support the development of new social enterprise activity across Scotland and deliver a diverse range of new social enterprises. In order to achieve this, the fund will offer 3 levels of grant to take ideas from their inception to implementation, along with business support focussed on the needs of the individual applicant.

The Fund will focus on:

• Investment in outcomes linked to the purpose of the Scottish Government in creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all through increasing sustainable economic growth.

• Capacity development - not project funding - in order to create a more financially sustainable, enterprising and business-like third sector.

How much money is available?

Funding is available at one or more of three levels, as detailed below. A broad indication is provided of the sorts of activity that could be funded at each level. The Fund is designed to be flexible enough, however, to be able to respond to the needs of each individual applicant and their circumstances. Applicants can enter at any of the three levels dependent on how well developed their idea is.

Firstport award stage 0 - Concept – awards of £500 focused on very early stage engagement such as legal set up, feasibility/market research, marketing/publicity
Outputs: 30 awards per annum

Firstport award stage 1 - Feasibility – awards of up to £5,000 to cover costs of testing out a new idea (such as marketing, equipment, travel etc)
Outputs: 50 awards per annum

Firstport award stage 2 - Implementation – awards of up to £20,000 to cover for instance an individual’s time/salary equivalent
Output: 12 awards per annum

Who can apply?
The Awards are given to individual entrepreneurs only

When to apply
There are 4 rounds per year. The application process will be as follows:

Level 0 – submission of an application form, open process, no deadlines
Level 1 – submission of an application form at one of a series of open funding windows. Assessment will be based on the application form, the drive and enthusiasm of the individual applicant, the business idea and the social objective
Level 2 – submission of a business plan at one of a series of open funding windows.

How to apply
Application forms and deadline dates can be downloaded from First Port website..

or Contact First Port by email: awards at firstport.org.uk

Tel: 0845 478 6336 or 0131 220 0511

Key words: social entrepreneur, individual.