Growth Accelerator for Social Entrepreneurs

If you are a social enterprise, charity or co-operative based in Leicester then this programme is made for you. It will give you the growth strategies, free consultancy, and collaborations to grow your social enterprise.

This is a fully funded programme until March 2025 through the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda.

The aim of the Growth Accelerator is to keep social entrepreneurs in business, protect and create jobs, and to help them grow.

The Growth Accelerator involves:

  • Masterclass training modules in growth strategy, from leading University of Leicester School of Business academics, using a cutting-edge digital learning platform
  • Free 1:1 consultancy support from CASE (Cooperative and Social Enterprise Development Agency) and Community Enterprise Engine; and
  • Peer support growth circles, to develop partnerships and collaborative offers and crowd source solutions to your challenges and opportunities

Taking part in this project gives you a new strategic planning toolkit, inspiration on how to grow your social enterprise, and the connections and collaborations to make new, exciting and fundable projects a reality.

Project Partners

The programme is delivered by the University of Leicester School of Business (ULSB) in partnership with the Cooperative and Social Enterprise Development Agency (CASE), and Community Enterprise Engine (CEE).

  • ULSB offers leadership and management programme expertise, most recently co-developing and delivering the Government‘s Help to Grow: Management course.
  • CASE has been supporting the growth of the social economy in Leicester for over 40 years.
  • CEE was born from 5 years of leading social enterprise support at Voluntary Action LeicesterShire and was formed to help community venues diversify their trading income streams.

University of Leicester Benefits

As part of this programme, you will receive a University of Leicester IT account and ID card during the length of this project.  Your ID card will grant you access to the School of Business Brookfield campus on London Road where meet up spaces are available in the ULSB Hub. There will also be opportunities for you to access the talent of School of Business staff and students through volunteering, projects, and placements.

Eligibility

To be eligible for support from the Growth Accelerator you need to:

  • Be from an existing social enterprise and based in Leicester;
  • Be a charity, CIC, cooperative or not for profit company
  • Be trading for community benefit; have social objects in your articles/governing document, and reinvest into your social purposes

This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Read more about the Leicester City Council Shared Prosperity Fund.

If you’d like us to send you a programme enrolment form, or have any queries, please email ulsb.business@leicester.ac.uk

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