About Social Enterprise Exchange

Social Enterprise Exchange is a programme of support for social enterprise in South Yorkshire and the Sheffield City Region. It is delivered by a community-based consortium in collaboration with the regional business growth hub.

Our goal is to contribute to broad social impact through social enterprise including jobs, start-ups and social enterprise growth. Over the course of seven years of delivery we have engaged with over 2000 social entrepreneurs and social enterprises, supported over 100 social enterprise start-ups and contributed to the development of over 300 existing social enterprises.

Social Enterprise Exchange promotes social entrepreneurship, through awareness raising events, knowledge exchange and peer networking; it provides step-up support for start-ups, including facilities, start-up grants and mentoring; and it offers specialist enterprise advice and support for existing social enterprises to grow and to develop new products and services.

Social Enterprise Exchange is managed by a consortium of specialist social enterprise support partners who have come together to offer a broad range of support and to assure coverage throughout South Yorkshire and beyond. The core delivery partners are Community Made Solutions, South Yorkshire Community Foundation, Cultural Industries Quarter Agency, Sheffield Local Television and Barnsley Community and Voluntary Services. The partnership is supported by a network of specialist advisors and community partners.

Social Enterprise Exchange Partners

Community Made Solutions (CMS) is a specialist social enterprise working in media and social enterprise development locally and internationally. CMS brings extensive experience of partnership building, strategic planning and management of complex multi-partner projects and coordinates the project on behalf of the consortium, providing project management and administration and specialist enterprise support.

Cultural Industries Quarter Agency (CIQA) is an economic development agency bringing specialist know-how in regeneration, building-based development and creative industries, and with extensive previous experience including creative, digital and social enterprise support. CIQA leads on delivery of social enterprise growth and support for neighbourhood level social enterprise incubators.

Sheffield Local Television (SLTV) is a community media organisation providing a regional platform for community information and creative talent whose facilities and services include social enterprise support, marketing advice, hot desks, equipment and facilities, technical assistance, media production and broadcast. SLTV manages the start-up programme and leads on delivery of marketing and digital media support including multi-media tools, web-site design and social media strategy.

South Yorkshire Community Foundation (SYCF) manages charitable funds for grant-making on behalf of philanthropists, business and trusts. SYCF has awarded more than £25 million in community grants in the last 30 years and has extensive experience of grant-making and grant management. SYCF leads on the management of the Social Enterprise Exchange small grants scheme to support social enterprise start-up and growth.

Barnsley Community and Voluntary Services (BCVS) is at the forefront of community development in Barnsley working with partners across the borough to support new start and existing organisations, with access to facilities and services such as legal registration, financial planning, HR, business and strategic development, funding and investment advice. BCVS provides local support and incubation for social enterprise start-up and growth.