Social Enterprise Boost is Back!

The Social Enterprise Boost (SEB) Fund is a UK Government funded programme that aims to kick start and accelerate social enterprise activity in local areas and demonstrate social enterprises’ impact on their communities. Launched in 2023, SEB offers a combination of capacity-building activities (business support, training, and peer networking) and grants to support social entrepreneurs.

In South Tyneside and Sunderland, SEB is delivered by local agency PNE and social enterprise agency Firstport. Since its launch, both teams have worked hard to demonstrate social enterprises’ significant impact on their communities and provided vital training and funding to champion organisations leading the way in creating a brighter future. To date, the Boost Fund has made 85 awards and distributed £435,000 in funding.

Local social enterprises that have benefited from SEB support include South Shields Surf School, Diego’s Joint Cafe, media company Red Stamp Productions and community gym Weights & Cakes.

SEB was originally scheduled to run until March 2025. However, in April 2025, the fund was extended until March 2026, making available up to £1 million of additional funding across four delivery areas.

Through this extension, the programme aims to further grow the social enterprise sector in targeted areas, enable local governments and the voluntary sector to implement systems and processes that encourage social enterprise growth, and build and disseminate evidence on place-based interventions that work in growing the social enterprise sector in disadvantaged areas.

Tracy Moore, CEO of PNE, said: “PNE are pleased to be working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Firstport to deliver the next iteration of Social Enterprise Boost. The programme has already made a huge social impact in the North East by inspiring and enabling budding social entrepreneurs to start viable businesses and providing existing enterprises with the skills, tools and resources to grow and thrive in the region. The team are excited to get started and to continue supporting local residents to make a difference in their community through social enterprise”

Gael Drummond, CEO of Firstport, said: “We are delighted to once more be able to offer social entrepreneurs in South Tyneside and Sunderland the opportunity to access funding to start and grow their businesses. The additional funding provided by the UK government is a testament to the incredible impact that the Social Enterprise Boost Fund has already had in the North East.

“We are looking forward to working with PNE to continue to deliver the programme and supporting more social entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into thriving enterprises”.

Anyone interested in accessing grant funding to start a social enterprise can visit Firstport’s website, and PNE’s website to learn about the range of free workshops and one-to-one support.