OUR SUCCESSES 

Big Issue Invest

Since start-up in 2005, we have invested more than £25.5 million in over 310 organisations to improve the quality of life in Britain’s poorest communities.

To date, our investments have directly benefited over 1.8 million individuals, sustained 3,200 in employment, and trained over 14,000 people.

Early Stage Programmes

CSV was initially launched in 2008 as “Spark” in England with the support of the Department for Communities and Local Government and four corporate partners (PwC, BT, Places for People and Willmott Dixon). It provided grants and corporate mentoring to social businesses providing business solutions to support vulnerably housed people out of homelessness.

Between 2008 and 2011, a total of £4.5 million of support and finance was invested in 32 early stage businesses and 5 start ups – 30 are still operating today.

In 2012, BII CSV was launched and shifted from providing grants to social investment. The first programme was called Tech For Good, and targeted social businesses using disruptive technology to support young people to develop their lives and find employment and career opportunities.

Six corporate partners (Nominet Trust, Unity Trust Bank, Mitie Foundation, Lloyds Development Capital, Salesforce Foundation, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch) provided the investment capital and business support and programme delivery costs were met by the Big Lottery.

The 11 successful businesses supported through the programme were:

Discoverables, DJ and MC Academy, Flip Yourself, Fresh Young Media, Future Reach, Insane Logic, MyTime, RunAClub, State of Ambition,  Selfless,  and Work Hero

Click here for the Tech for Good Big Issue Article