Investment opportunity open for SW social entrepreneurs

Leaders of social ventures are being urged to find out how they could benefit from thousands of pounds of investment and support to further their development at a taster event being held in Dartington this week.

Seedbed is a cutting edge investment and support programme that will work with 50 social ventures in the South West to help them grow, create sustainable jobs, access finance and contribute to their local economy and communities.

By attending the taster event on Thursday (Feb 19), social entrepreneurs can meet the team and learn more about the wealth of expertise and financial support available.

Dirk Rohwedder, Seedbed director and director of Dartington Hall Trust’s School for Social Entrepreneurs, said: “After a lot of planning, we have created a cutting edge programme and investment funding scheme that will help social entrepreneurs bridge the gap between start up support and investment readiness.

“Seedbed is now open for applications. We’re inviting ambitious social entrepreneurs to join Seedbed to help take their social venture to the next level and grow their impact.”

Seedbed is one of only ten social incubator/accelerator programmes in the UK and the only project of its kind in the South West.  Each social venture recruited onto the programme will benefit from a £8,500 support package and the opportunity to access thousands of pounds in loaned finance through the £600,000 investment programme.

These ventures will have social and/or environmental objectives at their core and will principally reinvest any surplus to support these objectives, within the business or community, instead of this surplus mainly being paid to shareholders and owners.

Places on the programme are free due to joint investment by the Social Incubator Fund, which is being delivered by the Big Lottery Fund on behalf of the Cabinet Office, and project partners Dartington Hall Trust, Plymouth University and South West Investment Group.

The programme will take place over 25 days between April and December,  during which time social entrepreneurs will learn how to successfully compete for tenders and contracts,  service growing markets,  promote their ventures and play a significant role in supply chains, through a series of workshops, master classes, coaching, business panels and web-based seminars.

This support will be provided by the Dartington Hall Trust and Plymouth University, while the South West Investment Group will share its experience in financial management and social finance.

Adam Chambers, a Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership board member, said: “Seedbed will provide much needed support for the growing number of social enterprises in the South West that combine profit with social purpose.
“The South West is one of the leading regions for Social Enterprise and this marks another important development for the sector.”

Taster events will be held between 5.30pm and 8pm at Space 4, SPACE Studios, Dartington Hall, TQ9 6EL this Thursday (February  19);  Room MH103, Futures Entrepreneurship Centre, Mast House, Plymouth, PL4 0HJ on Febraury 25; Pool Innovation Centre, Trevenson Road, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 3PL on February 24 and Waterside 3, The Watershed, 1 Canon’s Road, Bristol, BS1 5TX on February 26.

Visit www.seedbedenterprise.co.uk to find out more and to download an application form.