Aims/priorities: The initial phase of the programme focused on community businesses looking to learn how digital skills could help their business develop and grow.
The programme is now expanding to include support to help community businesses become more environmentally sustainable.
The second round will focus on community businesses that are looking to deliver changes within their business to:
- Help address the climate crisis and/or
- Improve their use of digital to better serve their communities.
It is anticipated that 30 community businesses will be supported in round two. About 18 to 20 organisations will have a primary focus on environmental sustainability and approximately 10 to 12 of them will have a digital focus. An initial 20 organisations will be supported in the autumn and a further 10 will start their support in December onwards.
Who can apply? Locally rooted community business that are operating and registered in England can apply.
To be eligible, applicants must be:
- Incorporated. This could be as a company with Companies House, a society with the Financial Conduct Authority, or a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with the Charity Commission.
- Trading for at least 12 months and provide accounts as evidence.
- Able to dedicate a minimum of 12 days (over the next 12 months) of their time or a team members time to engage with the support being offered in this programme.
- Seeking support to improve how their business uses digital to develop and grow or to develop sustainable environmental solutions and practices to improve their business.
Priority will be given to community businesses in the most deprived areas of England, as well as organisations that are led or predominantly working in communities with a high percentage of minoritised ethnicity.
If demand is above capacity, priority will be given to:
- Community businesses that are led or predominantly working in communities with a high percentage of minoritised ethnicity.
- Community businesses based in the English Indices of Deprivation (IMDs) 1-3. This can be checked using this postcode lookup.
Grant amount: Round 2 offers a tailored support package for each community business worth up to £20,000 in total which can be drawn over a 12-month period.
Application process: The guidelines, online eligibility checker, and a recording of an introductory webinar along with complete details of what the application process entails can be found on the Powering Up website.
Deadline: Monday 19 September 2022.
Contact information: Tel: 020 3857 7270 Email: cbconnectors@powertochange.org.uk
Website: Powering Up - Power to Change