Thrive: Scotland's Social Economy Fund

£100,000 - £500,000 loans available to social sector organisations working to reduce and prevent the causes and effects of poverty and trauma across Scotland. Applications open now - please read on for full fund and application details.

What is the Thrive fund?

Social Investment Scotland (SIS) has launched Thrive - Scotland's Social Economy Fund, a new £5 million fund to support organisations working to reduce and prevent the causes and effects of poverty and trauma across Scotland.

With investment from SIS, The Robertson Trust, and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the fund will provide loans of between £100,000 and £500,000 to social sector organisations delivering projects and services that improve outcomes for low-income people and households across the country.

Loans will be made to organisations who can show that they are reducing or prevent the causes of poverty or trauma by improving income and financial inclusion; employment, training and education; housing and local facilities; citizenship and communities; and mental health and wellbeing.

Thrive is now open for applications.

If, after reading and considering the details on this page, you are interested in applying for Thrive funding, please get in touch using our contact form, or by calling us on 0131 558 7706.

You can also register for one of our Thrive, Fund Facts online 30-minute information sessions [LINK].

Poverty in Scotland

Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation highlights that around 940,000 people in Scotland are living in poverty. Meanwhile, many of the charities and other not for profit organisations best placed to respond are unable to find the finance they need to increase the impact of their work.

This fund has been designed to help overcome these challenges by providing long-term finance which enables organisations to invest in projects that will directly support more people at risk of, or experiencing, poverty in Scotland.

Who is it for?

Social sector organisations based in Scotland who are reducing or preventing the causes of poverty for people and households, particularly low-income people and/or households.

Organisations or projects with at least one of the following outcome areas: improving income and financial inclusion; employment, training and education; housing and local facilities; citizenship and communities; and mental health and wellbeing.

Teams ready to take on repayable finance to grow their operations and increase their impact.

Limited Companies, Sole Traders, Partnerships and Limited Liability Partnerships.

Supported by our social impact partners

About Joseph Rowntree Foundation

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is an independent social change organisation working to support and speed up the transition to a more equitable and just future, free from poverty, where people and planet can flourish.

JRF's work includes policy development and insight gathering, advocacy and campaigns, funding pioneers and visionaries, field building, and supporting those building grassroots movements. JRF has been making social investments to support initiatives aligned with its mission since 2015.

About The Robertson Trust

The Robertson Trust is an independent grant-making trust in Scotland.

Established in 1961, the Trust’s mission is to prevent and reduce poverty and trauma in Scotland by funding, supporting, and influencing solutions to drive social change.

Thrive is now open for applications.

If, after reading and considering the details on this page, you are interested in applying for Thrive funding, please get in touch using our contact form, or by calling us on 0131 558 7706.

You can also register for one of our Thrive, Fund Facts online 30-minute information sessions [LINK].

Want to find out more?

If you are interested in Thrive: Scotland's Social Economy Fund and you would like to find out more, sign up to a 30-minute online Fund Fact session delivered by Lindsay Wake, SIS Head of Impact and Communications and Chris Jamieson, SIS Head of Investment Partnerships.

These will be taking place on:

Wednesday 18 November 26, 2 - 2:30PM
Thursday 26 November 26, 2 - 2:30PM
Wednesday 2 December 26, 10 - 10:30AM
Tuesday 12 January 27, 11:30AM - 12PM

Quotes

"Scotland’s Thrive Fund has been designed around the difference funded activity will make and the people who will benefit from it. By providing access to flexible attractively priced investment, we can help organisations with a clear social purpose build on the important work they are already doing and reach more people in their communities. We hope the fund will help support lasting change across the country.”

Alastair Davis

Chief Executive of Social Investment Scotland

“Supporting communities to own and govern local assets is a key focus of our social investment strategy. Community-owned and community-led organisations are often best placed to respond to local needs but can find it harder to access the long-term finance required to grow. Thrive will help address this, ensuring the wealth generated by local assets is retained and reinvested within communities rather than extracted."

Lena Talib

Investment Portfolio Manager at Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Previous Next

Why work with SIS?

We are a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) with more than 25 years’ experience delivering responsible, impact-led lending.

Since 2001, we have invested nearly £170 million in around 600 organisations across the UK.

We understand that some businesses with strong potential can fall outside traditional lending criteria, and we work closely with businesses to provide fair, flexible and relationship-led finance.