Renfrewshire Council

What the Social Enterprise Small Grant is

The Social Enterprise Small Grant is available to social enterprises and social economy organisations looking to grow or strengthen their enterprise activities and develop their organisations.

Successful applicants can receive up to £5,000.

The grant can fund:

• capacity building work to acquire enterprise skills (developing skills, processes, and resources that your organisation needs to adapt and thrive)
• new equipment or resources related to delivering new products and services or extending your customer base - this could include staffing costs, IT office equipment, or improvements to your premises
• projects to create an economic impact, such as increasing revenue, reducing costs, or providing training opportunities
• part of the cost for a larger project or activity.

The grant cannot fund:

• work that has already happened
• individuals - you must represent an organisation
• projects intended to promote religious or political beliefs
• study visits (visiting other enterprising organisations and learning from them)
• the purchase of vehicles.

Who can get the grant

You can apply for the grant if:

• you represent a social enterprise or social economy organisation
• your organisation is based in Renfrewshire
• your organisation's turnover is less than £500,000.

Before applying, you should also make sure that:

• your organisation has a written constitution and an appropriate governance structure, such as a management committee and board of trustees
• your organisation complies with the Equality Act 2010
• your organisation follows any relevant Disclosure Scotland and Protecting Vulnerable Group schemes
• you can show how you would manage the funds and use them constructively
• you can show how your proposed activity would support the types of projects described above.

See what other business grants and loans are available.

How to apply

If you're interested in applying for the grant, contact our social enterprise officer:

• email econdev.community@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• phone 0141 487 1439.

They will talk to you about the application process, give you any advice or support you need, and send you an application form.

We'll accept applications until the fund's budget is fully awarded, so apply as soon as you can so you do not miss out.

What happens after you apply

We'll review your application and aim to let you know our decision within 4 to 6 weeks.