Announcing Social Entrepreneurship Awards
25 November 2009
If you are a LJMU member of staff or student and want help to develop an entrepreneurial solution to a social problem you can now apply for one of over 200 awards that provide financial and non-financial support for your ventures.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and UnLtd have launched the HE Social Entrepreneurship Awards programme that aims to underpin and raise the profile of social entrepreneurship within the Higher Education sector.
Social entrepreneurs are individuals who set up ventures which address social issues, create positive change or reinvest some profit from those ventures for social good.
HEFCE is working with the social enterprise charity UnLtd to allocate a total of almost £1 million to about 200 individuals and informal groups within England’s HEIs who have an entrepreneurial solution to a social problem that connects to the Higher Education sector. For example, you could develop or build upon the curriculum or research of LJMU or offer an entrepreneurial solution to an issue within the community served by LJMU.
The programme will run over an 18-month period with an opportunity for staff and students to apply - as individuals or as informal groups - for two levels of funding. The majority of the awards will be for small sums, with an average size of around £2,500 up to a maximum of £5,000, known as Catalyst Awards. Development Awards for 10 larger projects will also be available with a value of up to £15,000. The financial value of individual awards is relatively modest because the intention is to kick-start early-stage project ideas, rather than to provide an ongoing funding stream for established initiatives.
The support available will not only include initial funding but also practical support from UnLtd in the form of mentoring and networking.
The application process is straightforward requiring the submission of a business plan. UnLtd will be managing the application and initial selection process on behalf of HEFCE. The final selection of projects will be made through an Advisory Group that will include representation from HEFCE and the social enterprise sector.
Staff and students are invited to submit proposals for Catalyst Awards from 23 November 2009. Catalyst Awards will be awarded over the coming 11 months. Details of the timetable for making applications for Development Awards and other support activities will be available early in 2010.
If you would like more information on how to further your entrepreneurial solution to a social issue, contact the Student Enterprise team who will also put you in touch with a business adviser to help you with the business planning process.
Contact Dominique Aspey, Enterprise Network Manager, on: 0151 231 8062 or email: D.Aspey@ljmu.ac.uk
