Big Issue Invest Scotland, a new joint venture between Big Issue Invest (the social investment arm of The Big Issue) and our community development finance institution, DSL Business Finance has been established to provide social investment and loan finance to social enterprises, social ventures and Third Sector organisations in Scotland, offering loans from £3,000 to £1.5m and […]
Opening doors to the world
I am writing this blog from Hanoi, Vietnam where I am spending the week with groups of students, who have made it through to the bootcamp stage of a social enterprise competition I helped launch last year. I have spent my time helping them to prepare their pitch, where I and a panel of experts […]
Is social media relevant to social enterprise?
Innovation is key to success! The growth of social enterprise is perhaps one of the most encouraging beacons to shine from Scotland in recent years. With government support, social entrepreneurs have traded on their passions with the pay-off making a real difference to the Scottish economy. But skills and endeavour alone don’t always lead to […]
Joining a new community!
Last weekend, I joined a new community. A few months ago I had no idea this community existed, when with friends Ross and Tim we agreed to take on the challenge of running our first ultra-marathon, 53 miles along the West Highland Way from Glasgow to Tyndrum. Our winter training might have been tough but the uplifting […]
‘Stephen’s Story’ inspires global action for common good
Nineteen year old Stephen Sutton’s story; documenting his life with cancer over the past 18 months, after an initial diagnosis when he was only fifteen, has gone viral on social media and featured prolifically in the news this week. Upon hearing his cancer was terminal, rather than lie down to this illness, Stephen set himself […]
CEIS appointed as partner for Korean overseas aid training
CEIS were recently selected as the preferred partner by British Council Korea to deliver an intensive training programme to 30 aspiring social entrepreneurs; coupled with an educational study visit to the UK for 18 of the group. CEIS alongside affiliated UK partners Challenges Worldwide, Targeting Innovation, Social Enterprise Academy and Shujog, Singapore devised an innovative […]
CEIS confirmed as ongoing contract manager for Just Enterprise
We have a lot to be shouting about here at CEIS HQ in Govan, as we have just been confirmed as ongoing contract manager for the Scottish Government’s Just Enterprise Programme, to provide business support and development services to enterprising Third Sector Organisations across Scotland. CEIS along with consortium partners HISEZ, Firstport, Social Enterprise Academy, […]
MSP Fergus Ewing launches new social enterprise, Highlands & Islands Business Finance
On 7 February 2014, MSP Fergus Ewing attended the launch of a new venture set up by Harry Wilson, Alan Sillars and James Dunbar. Highlands and Islands Business Finance (HIBF) is aimed at providing SME’s in the Highlands and Islands who have difficulty sourcing funding through mainstream sources with access to finance. The launch held […]
Swinney hails Norway inspiration
Finance Secretary John Swinney is visiting Oslo this week for a conference on social enterprises. He commented “Scotland has been recognised 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’. This conference is an excellent opportunity to share […]
More than 60 organisations to benefit from Enterprise Ready Fund
John Swinney announced grants totalling £2.3million have been awarded to 67 enterprising third sector organisations in Scotland. The Enterprise Ready Fund delivered in partnership with CEIS, DSL and Social Value Lab opened in September to applications. Read more here