We provide support, advice and guidance to prospective and established social enterprises during critical periods of their start up and development. We have assisted over 500 social economy organisations in Bristol and beyond since 1993. We are also a forum and network for the social enterprise sector, promoting supporting and accountable to our members. This website puts you in touch with us and our members.
Support to start a social enterprise
If you or your organisation is based in Bristol, we can offer up to 3 hours of dedicated face to face support with a social enterprise business adviser at no cost to you to help you start a social enterprise.
Support and advice is tailored to your needs but in many cases covers ‘the principles and characteristics of social enterprise’, ‘business planning and feasibility’, ‘legal structures and incorporation’.
Support for existing social enterprises
If your organisation is based in Bristol, we can offer up to 1 hour of dedicated face to face support with a social enterprise adviser at no cost to you to explore your needs. Following this we can point you towards a range of sources of support including 1 - 1 support, training or facilitation.
We can currently offer support through the Train to Gain leadership and management programme, which offers grants of up to £1000.
Training and Events
We run a range of training and events covering business planning, performance improvement, managing in tough times, action learning sets for social enterprises and other third sector organisations and social enterprise advisers. We can also signpost you to many other courses.
We develop and run bespoke training for clients, including other social enterprise support organisations.
Consultancy services
We offer a professional service based on our experience of business development, project management, buildings management, facilitation and training. Consultancy work currently makes up 57% of our income.
This consultancy service is suitable for third sector organisations that require bespoke support or public and private organisations that require our specialist knowledge.
