WIREDGOV

More than 60 organisations to benefit from Enterprise Ready Fund.

Grants totalling £2.3 million have been awarded to 67 enterprising third sector organisations, John Swinney has confirmed.

The £6 million Enterprise Ready Fund, which opened to applications in September, builds on a number of current initiatives the Scottish Government has in place to continue to support a sustainable, capable and enterprising third sector.

The Finance Secretary’s announcement comes ahead of his trip to Oslo, Norway on Thursday where he highlighted the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting the third sector at the Ferd conference on Social Entrepreneurship.

Mr Swinney outlined Scotland’s social enterprise profile and highlight the role of the estimated 3,000 to 4,000 social enterprises working in the growing sector, when he meets with Norway’s Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, Robert Eriksson.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth said:

“I would like to congratulate the 67 organisations which have been successful in securing grants from the Enterprise Ready Fund, ensuring the impact of these investments will be felt across Scotland.

“We believe that an enterprising third sector is a vital partner in our economy, in civic society and in the creation of a fairer and more inclusive Scotland. That is why we have invested heavily to help the sector develop.

“We have had a great response to the fund so far and I am keen to remind new, emerging and established third sector organisations that they have until 16 June to apply for funding. I hope that by investing in the third sector and enhancing its self-sufficiency we can look forward to a future where these organisations play a full role in public sector reform.

“Speaking at the Ferd conference provides an opportunity to share the experience of building a strong social enterprise sector, with our friends in Norway. Scotland has an excellent reputation for our work with the third sector. It is regarded as the best place in the world to start a social enterprise and there is increasing international interest in what some are calling the ‘Scottish Model’.”

Foundation Scotland’s Chief Executive Giles Ruck said:

“We are delighted with the wide variety of applications we have received so far, which showcase the innovative ways organisations plan to use their awards to make a real difference to the people and communities they serve.

We hope this initial announcement will encourage new or developing third sector organisations to apply to the Enterprise Ready Fund before it closes on the 16th of June."

Notes to editors

The Enterprise Ready Fund will distribute £6 million during 2013 to 2015 to help maintain, develop and grow enterprising third sector organisations. Grants of up to £250,000 are available to support new, emerging, developing and established organisations to become more self-sustaining and grow.

The Enterprise Ready Fund will help organisations to develop, become more efficient and self-sustaining, or diversify into new markets. Priority is being given to activities that contribute towards the Scottish Government’s Prevention and Welfare Reform agendas.

The fund is being delivered by a consortium of third sector organisations led by Foundation Scotland in partnership with Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEiS), Developing Strathclyde Ltd (DSL) and the Social Value Lab.

Further information and full details of the Enterprise Ready Fund can be found at: http://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/grants-and-funding-for-organisations/what-grants-are-available/enterprise-ready-fund.aspx

Mr Swinney will speak at the Ferd conference on Social Entrepreneurship in Oslo, Norway on 13 February. Ferd is a family-owned Norwegian industrial and financial group with extensive involvement in social entrepreneurship.

Enterprise Ready Fund awards

Name Amount Local Authority

1st Class Credit Union £13,130 Glasgow

Ala Mairi £23,108 Glasgow

Almond Networks SCIO £25,000 Stirling

An Lanntair £19,362 Eilean Sair

Ayrshire Childrens Services £48,560 North Ayrshire

Bad Idea Organisation CIC £25,000 Glasgow

Baseline 360 Limited £22,851 Glasgow

Beechbrae Scotland Ltd £19,444 West Lothian

Beith Community Development Trust £50,000 North Ayrshire

Bigton Community Enterprise Ltd £19,468 Shetland Islands

Bodysurf Scotland £12,000 Moray

Borders Environmental Education Services (BEES) £25,000 Scottish Borders

Camphill Blair Drummond Trust Ltd £153,545 Stirling

Children in Scotland £24,840 City of Edinburgh

Clydesdale Community Initiative £68,461 South Lanarkshire

Clydebank Sports Community Hub £18,947 West Dunbartonshire

Co Chomunn na Pairc £16,274 Eilean Siar

Comas £37,833 City of Edinburgh

Creetown Initiative Ltd £42,200 Dumfries & Galloway

Cromarty Arts Trust £25,000 Highland

Delivered Next Day Personally CIC £19,920 South Lanarkshire

Duncan Mackinnon Music and Arts Trust £25,000 Scottish Borders

Eadha Enterprises £19,955 Renfrewshire

Ecology Centre £23,851 Fife

Fair Deal £23,820 Glasgow

Fyne Futures £24,821 Argyll & Bute

Glasgow Women’s Library £16,500 Glasgow

Grassmarket Community Project £69,963 City of Edinburgh

Greetings from Leith Ltd £14,287 Edinburgh

Highland Blindcraft £25,000 Highland

ILM Highland £82,550 Highland

Kintyre Recycling £15,000 Argyll & Bute

Kyle of Sutherland £10,012 Highland

LAMH Recycle Ltd £24,411 North Lanarkshire

Living Solutions (Scotland) £76,207 Fife

Mull and Iona Community Trust £13,750 Argyll & Bute

National Piping Centre £18,234 Glasgow

New Start Highland £93,588 Highland

NHS Credit Union £13,998 Glasgow

Nourish (Scotland) CIC £50,000 City of Edinburgh

Power of Youth £21,000 City of Edinburgh

Protective Technology Solutions Ltd – Haven PTS £24,600 Stirling

Reaching Older Adults in Renfrewshire (ROAR) £18,170 Renfrewshire

Recovery Across Mental Health (RAMH) £24,791 Renfrewshire

Reeltime Music £24,767 North Lanarkshire

Regener8 Central SCIO £25,000 Falkirk

Reidvale Neighbourhood Centre £22,406 Glasgow

Ross of Mull & Iona Community Transport Scheme £22,014 Argyll & Bute

Royston Stress Centre £24,595 Glasgow

RUTS £24,430 Midlothian

Scottish Marriage Care £25,000 Glasgow

Second Opportunities £111,597 Glasgow

South Nesting Public Hall £10,360 Shetland Islands

Showcase the Street £70,000 Angus

Spartans £15,804 Edinburgh

Stable Life £25,000 Scottish Borders

Strathpeffer Pavilion Association £131,572 Highland

Glasgow Photography Group (Streetlevel Photoworks) £19,134 Glasgow

The Food Train £58,891 Dumfries & Galloway

The Melting Pot £25,000 City of Edinburgh

Transform Scotland £49,544 City of Edinburgh

Transport for Tongue £23,545 Highland

UCAN Live Work £13,865 East Ayrshire

Uist Wool £23,500 Eilean Siar

Velocity Café & Bicycle Workshop £16,730 Highland

Wild Things! £48,000 Moray

Young Enterprise Scotland £23,340 Glasgow