The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) is accepting applications to its Social Investment Gateway Programme, a free 12-month support offer designed to help charities, social enterprises and community organisations prepare for social investment.

The programme is open to England based organisations and will support 75 leaders of charities or social enterprises across four cohorts. Groups can register their interest now in the second cohort which runs from 1 March 2027 to 1 February 2028.

The programme is aimed at organisations that want to strengthen trading and move closer to being ready for social investment within the next three years. Applicants must be intending to grow their organisation through applying for social investment in that timeframe, whether they are still testing a business model or need to build trading, systems and processes before making an application to an investor.

Two grant types are available as part of the programme. Applicants can choose either a:

• Match Trading Grant of up to £18,000, which is drawn down only as trading increases. This grant is paid over 12 months in five instalments.
• Repayable grant of up to £24,000, with an average award of around £22,000.

Eligible applicants are expected to have an active trading model with plans to grow over the next year and an annual income above £100,000, measured as total income rather than trading income. Organisations below that threshold can contact SSE if they consider their trading model ready to proceed.

Support includes tailored learning, diagnostic input, peer coaching, investment surgeries and opportunities to meet social investors, alongside help to develop market activity, pricing and sales, financial strategy, systems, governance, impact evidence and risk management.