Social Enterprise Resources

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We’re here to help you explore ideas, test concepts and grow your impact. We also think there are some amazing organisations sharing super useful resources, toolkits and case studies which could be useful prompts as you define your ideas, so we've collected them in one place for you :)

Getting Started: Tools & Frameworks

Learn how to define your mission, set goals, and create business and impact models to turn your idea into a structured plan.

• Impact Business Model Canvas template  -  follow along as Professor Soule from Stanford Business School explains each block of the Impact canvas and provides prompting questions to stretch your thinking. 
• Theory of Change by Nesta - Define your goals and how you will achieve them
• Social Impact Canvas - A simple tool created by the Social Enterprise Institute (SEI) at the University of Edinburgh to map your mission, beneficiaries, activities, and intended impact.
• Business Model Canvas (Social Enterprise Version) - Helps you outline your users, value proposition, revenue options, and impact.
• Social Startup Toolkit : everything you need to model your social enterprise - A step-by-step guide for idea development, prototyping, impact planning, and team building.
• Zebras Unite Principles - A model for ethical, community-focused businesses that prioritise sustainability over hyper-growth.
• Social Venture Handbook by Mishcon de Reya - Summarises the key features of a social venture, helps you decide what is right for your business and points out the legal aspects you’ll need to consider.
• Wellbeing Economy Alliance - Tap into WEAll’s resources and narrative tools to strengthen the mission and structure of your social enterprise
• Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) - Explore tools for designing enterprises that balance ecological limits with social foundations.
• UK Government – How to Set Up a Social Enterprise - Clear advice on legal structures, reporting responsibilities, and tax guidance.

Fundraising and Business Support for Social Enterprises

Discover funding options, training, and tools to secure investment, plan your finances, and scale your social enterprise with impact.

• Starting your own Social Enterprises Guide: Read this guide from Social Enterprise UK with all the info you need to get started, including helpful info about legal structures

Funding programmes

• UnLtd - Funding, support, and resources specifically for social entrepreneurs in the UK. This is a rolling funding scheme: awards of up to £18,000 help UK social entrepreneurs aged 16+ start up or grow a social venture, with a "Starting Up" strand aimed at those with just an idea or in early development. Recipients also get up to a year of tailored support, and 50% of awards are committed to Black, Asian and minority ethnic and/or disabled social entrepreneurs.
• The National Lottery Community Fund | Funding programmes - Grants and programmes to support community-focused social enterprises.

Guidance

• Social Enterprise UK – Funding Support - National guidance on funding, finance, and programmes for mission-led organisations.
• Good Finance - Comprehensive tools and guidance to help social enterprises find funding and manage finance effectively.
• Adventure Finance, Aunnie Patton Power - Guidance on planning funding strategies that balance financial and social goals.
• Impact Investing Institute -Resources for understanding and accessing impact investment.

Directories

• Considered Capital - Directory of funders and training to help social enterprises access impact-driven finance.
• Impact Investor Finder - resource created to help companies looking for funding to search and find impact investors by theme and geography.
• Swoop Funding - Searchable funding directory tailored to social enterprises.
• Sustainability/ Climate tech funders - a free, open-source directory mapping the global climate ecosystem, and its Capital section lists over 500 organisations that fund climate-focused ventures. It covers the full spectrum of funding types: venture capital firms, angel investors, accelerators, incubators, grants, fellowships, prizes, private equity and project finance.
• Better Society Capital - Funding and finance options for growth-stage social enterprises with clear social impact.

Support Networks & Communities

Communities hosting regular events, meet-ups and more

• ImpactU - a collective of UK universities working collaboratively to support and raise awareness of mission-driven businesses emerging from our ecosystems.
• The School for Social Entrepreneurs - Training and mentoring programmes to develop your enterprise skills.
• London Social Ventures - LSV connects groundbreaking academic research and student ideas with the support needed to create sustainable, impactful businesses. 
• Barclays Eagle Labs - incubate, inspire and educate UK founders, startups and scaleups and help them to succeed and scale. Find investors, mentors and helpful resources.

Competitions, Incubator and Accelerator Programmes

• IGNITE- Run by the Ford Family Foundation, dedicated social investors committed to backing purpose-driven founders, IGNITE offers more than prize money. Successful applicants join a six-week, expert-led accelerator, with finalists pitching live at the Grand Finale for a share of the £50,000 equity-free prize fund.
• QM Social Venture Fund - The UK's first student-led social impact venture capital fund, run by Queen Mary's Entrepreneurship Hub in partnership with the Creator Fund, investing £15,000 in equity into a winning student-led social venture each year.
• London Social Ventures - the programmes guide participants from initial inspiration to building sustainable, impact-driven ventures through workshops, mentorship, and practical support, addressing critical social and environmental issues in London and beyond. Free for UCL students.
• Santander X UK Awards 2026 - Enter Santander’s flagship entrepreneurship pitching competition to win a share of £150,000 and take your business to the next stage.. Originally launched in 2011 for university entrepreneurs, the competition has evolved to support high-potential startups and SMEs.
• The Young Inventors Prize - Aimed at individuals 30 and under, the prize rewards those who innovate with a purpose and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).