Social Firms UK

Up-to-date information on grants for the UK charity sector

This is central government's Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform department.

This website hosts a selection of downloadable, brief marketing guides.

CAN supports social entrepreneurs to scale up their businesses and maximise their social impact. CAN provides office space, business support and funds. This is done through: Social Investment - leveraging capital funds and strategic growth...

CIM has created a free online marketing planning guide that aims to provide marketing support to all regardless of their expertise.

Co-operative & Community Finance has been providing loan finance for co-operatives, employee owned businesses and social enterprises for 35 years. It raises money primarily by public share issue, and lends it for social purpose and collective...

Co-operative Futures is a dynamic co-operative policy and development agency supporting the development of social enterprises in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Swindon and Wiltshire.

This social enterprise consultancy has relaunched its website with a range of useful resources.

Communicability helps disabled people whose disability leads to a communications problem – whether it be one that directly affects the senses such as deafness, or like mobility problems, makes it hard to use communications facilities and...

Community Interest Companies (CICs) are designed for social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for the public good. CICs are easy to set up, with all the flexibility and certainty of the company form, but with some special...

Membership organisation promoting community based sustainable waste management as a practical and effective way of tackling the UK's growing waste problem.

Cooperantics provides people skills for cooperative working. They offer a comprehensive support package to provide clients with the knowledge and expertise to ensure good co-operative working practices which are the basis for a successful co-...

Social Firms UK is on the steering group of this Consortium, which is lobbying for a new type of benefit to be delivered through community-based organisations with the aim of helping peoples’ transition to paid employment.

Academic research network.

Action Research programme financed by DEFRA.

The ENSIE Network wants to contribute to opening up opportunities for all men and women to exercise their rightful claim to participation in social life and be part of the economic changes across the whole spectrum of employment and the scope of...

The FSB is the largest campaigning pressure group promoting and protecting the interests of the self-employed and owners of small firms. Formed in 1974, it now has over 196,000 members across 33 regions and 230 branches. On the member benefits...

For the latest on the Future Builders initiative.

Portal shopping site created jointly by Red Pepper magazine and the Big Issue.

i-genius is building a world community of social entrepreneurs and seeking to inspire a new generation to become social innovators. They are looking for individuals who are either running a project or business that is providing social benefit to...

This organisation runs a variety of accredited courses on social enterprise.

INAISE is an international membership organisation.

It's Your Move develops training courses for people who want to live more independently - all delivered by frontline support workers.

Jobcentre Plus is a government agency supporting people of working age from welfare into work, and helping employers to fill their vacancies.

This organisation has over 30 years experience of hidden disabilities (e.g. dyslexia, autism, ADHD etc). It educates individuals and employers alike about these disabilities.

This organisation provides advice on creating a thriving local business community.

Useful source of information on latest ESF initiatives for London-based organisations in the third sector.

An on-line directory of ethical goods and services.

A free and independent source of information and advice for entrepreneurs, owner managers and workers and self employed, starting or running a business with fewer than 10 staff and based in England.

This website provides downloadable information on the following areas: - help for jobseekers and employees - help for employers - the law and policy guidance - experts, organisations and networks

Network 2012 is a social networking site with a social inclusion agenda. Members can use the site to connect and network with other social enterprises and promote their own social enterprise’s goods and services. Network 2012 provides...

OSW is a registered charity that tackles homelessness by supporting individuals to access education, training, volunteering and employment. It runs a project called The Ethical Enterprise & Employment (3xe) Network (...

As part of the Cabinet Office, the OTS leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector, enabling the sector to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities...

An educational charity supporting the development of rural group enterprise world-wide.

Business inspired solutions for the third sector.

Strategic partner to Social Firms UK, this is a recently formed company of recycling and re-use networks, many of whose members overlap with the Social Firm sector and visa versa.

The School delivers a nationally renowned programme of learning and development for community activists, social entrepreneurs and regeneration practitioners.

The social enterprise support body for the South West.

The UK disability organisation Scope has developed a range of services for disabled people and employers aimed at improving all aspects of the working environment.

This website provides information for social enterprises on training, funding, support services, consultancy services and useful publications.

SEC is the UK's national body for social enteprise.

European Social Firms network comprising 13 EU member countries within which Social Firms UK is very active and plays a leading part, with its CEO currently Secretary General.

Social Firms UK offers consultancy services relating to setting up and running Social Firms and social enterprises.

Social Firms Wales is the Welsh arm of Social Firms UK the National Support Agency for Social Firm development. It is committed to the creation of employment opportunities for disadvantaged people through the development and support of Social...

This government website enables organisations to register and receive notification of their local procurement contract opportunities below a value of £100k completely free of charge. By registering as a supplier, Social Firms can...

Every year BIG gives out millions of pounds from the National Lottery to good causes. Money goes to community groups and to projects that improve health, education and the environment. This web page of The Big Lottery website shows the current...

The Ethical Enterprise and Employment (3xE) Network is a project run by Off The Streets & Into Work (www.osw.org.uk). 3xe brings together organisations using social enterprise and...

An free online mentoring facility which includes business start-up mentors amongst others.

This is the body responsible for identifying and remedying skill shortages in a wide range of business sectors.

The Social Investment Business is the largest social investor in the UK. It manages...

The Third Sector National Learning Alliance (TSNLA) is the voice for all Third Sector learning and skills providers. It is made up of organisations from the Third Sector, speaking on behalf of the Third Sector and using its website to share...

Time to Change is England's most ambitious programme to end discrimination faced by people who experience mental health problems. Its vision is to make lives better for everyone by ending mental health discrimination.  Its mission is to...

Ethical bank dedicated to the social economy.

Market research services.