A NEW finance and support package will be made available to social ventures in West Devon this April.
The Seedbed incubator will offer 50 social entrepreneurs cutting-edge support with the aim to make them stronger and more sustainable and provide access to social finance.
The Seedbed Accelerator will help social entrepreneurs create sustainable jobs, contribute to the local economy and build resilient communities.
Seedbed is one of only ten social incubators/accelerators in the UK which have received funding from the Cabinet Office to provide growth and investment support through loans and a development programme.
Places on the programme are free due to a joint investment by the Big Lottery's Social Incubator Fund and the three partner organisations that are involved in Seedbed to help take social ventures in the South West to the next level.
The partner organisations are three pioneering social enterprise leaders in the South West.
Seedbed will consist of Dartington Hall Trust, which will provide social venture development experience and effective action learning, Plymouth University which will provide research expertise and learning resources, and the South West Investment Group, which will provide financial management and social finance experience.
The programme will take place over 25 days from April to December this year. During this period, ventures will learn how to successfully compete for tenders and contracts, service growing markets and play a significant role in supply chains and B2B activity through a programme of workshops, master classes, business panels, webinars and more.
Dirk Rohwedder, Seedbed director and director of Dartington Hall Trust's School for Social Entrepreneurs, spoke about the programme: 'We're thrilled to officially launch Seedbed for the South West.
'After a lot of planning, we have created a cutting edge programme and investment funding scheme that will help social entrepreneurs bridge the gap between start up support and investment readiness.
'Seedbed is now open for applications. We're inviting ambitious social entrepreneurs to join Seedbed to help take their social venture to the next level and grow their impact.'
Seedbed will recruit the first 25 social ventures by March 13, 2015.
Social ventures are able to join the programme for free. Visit the website at http://www.seedbedenterprise.co.uk">www.seedbedenterprise.co.uk to find out more information and to download the application form.