Rishi pickings... Did the UK chancellor give us loads of money – or just a lot of missed opportunities? Here’s what some of the UK's social enterprise and social investment leaders had to say about this week's Budget.
Latest Big Society Capital research reveals £6.4bn was invested in social sector organisations by the end of 2020, as investments in social property funds boom and Covid-19 support schemes drive momentum.
BSC says it wants to hit £15bn of social investment by 2025. Stephen Muers tells us why that means going beyond “small and fiddly” investments, why dormant assets cash may not be needed – and why recent criticism isn't a reason to change course.
Former investment banker Gareth Davies says UK wholesaler should broaden scope to ‘enhance profits’, one of many sweeping changes he proposes to boost social investment. But BSC says it’s already ‘picking winners’ while putting impact first.
Support to social investment in the UK began in earnest just over 20 years ago. As efforts to expand the market continue unabated, what can we learn from two decades of experience – and what questions should we be asking now?
A £30m budget to tackle homelessness may sound tiny, but the social investment pilot is already leveraging millions more in investment. We unpick the details of a complex collection of funds – and find out what they hope to achieve.
PLUS: Africa's first social bonds; first Women's Livelihood Bond matures; $58m fund to help farmers adapt to climate change; Bridges sells majority stake in World of Books, and more – all the deals you need to know about this month.
NEWS ANALYSIS: Long snubbed in an impact investing market obsessed with returns, ‘blended finance’ has now proven its worth. But securing its survival could be Access’s most important role in the second half of its lifetime.
First-time deal means tech for good VC can increase financial firepower up to ten-fold and hold its own among mainstream competitors – while ensuring no “watering down” of focus on impact, according to CEO.