New funding scheme to address the rising cost of living

A new funding scheme has been launched to help social enterprises continue to support their communities.

Coventry & Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) has launched the Access Programme, funded by ‘Access - The Foundation for Social Investment.’

This groundbreaking funding scheme will be delivered by CWRT with the support of Coventry & Warwickshire CDA, aimed at addressing the pressing issue of the rising cost of living.

The Access Programme’s primary focus is to help local charities and social enterprises support their enterprise activities and enable them to sustain the support they are providing to those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis. These organisations will be able to receive grants as well as debt finance and, if possible, scale up their enterprise models to meet the growing demand for essential services such as food, warm spaces, financial advice, essential transport, and safe housing.

The programme is eligible to social enterprises and charities based within Warwickshire and Coventry as well as other parts of the wider West Midlands.

Funding range: Grants range from £5,000 to £7,500.

Blended finance: A unique opportunity for organisations to receive a grant that can be combined with a loan at low interest rates, resulting in a total maximum investment of £60,000. A minimum grant of £10,000 to a maximum of £20,000 can be combined with loans ranging from £20,000 to £40,000.

Additional support: In addition to the grants organisations will receive one-hour online support session delivered by the Coventry and Warwickshire CDA as well as access to peer-to-peer network.

Eligible organisations are invited to visit the Access Programme webpage for more details and are encouraged to start the application process early, as the competition is expected to be high.

The programme is committed to driving positive change and ensuring the long-term resilience of social enterprises and charities across the West Midlands with the support of Access and Coventry & Warwickshire CDA.

* Warwickshire County Council is committed to supporting and helping to deliver a diverse and sustainable social enterprise sector. For more information about other support available, including WCC-funded support, please visit https://cwcda.co.uk/contact-us/