Booster Fund – pre-grant support

The Booster Fund is committed to diversity and recognise that different communities have different needs and do not all have the same access to expertise to realise their ambitions.

We are aware that before applying for the Booster Fund, some communities will need support to:

• Understand community shares
• Understand the co-operative or community benefit society (legal form needed to raise finance using community shares) or need
• Define and develop their plans

If this might be you, then we are offering pre-grant support. This means we could pay for up to four days with one of our advisors to work with you to explore your options and plan your next steps. 

How to apply 

To apply, complete a simple form on the next page and we will be in touch.

You do not need to have found an adviser to work with, or have identified exactly how support you need. But there is space on the form to let us know details of your situation.

Eligibility

We are particularly interested in helping early-stage projects from communities that might otherwise struggle to progress, including: 

• Racially minoritised communities 

• Communities facing systemic inequality 

• Unrepresented or excluded communities 

• Organisations with diverse leadership or strong equality impact in their activities 

• Younger people (under 35) 

• Organisations actively tackling the climate crisis 

Examples of support include

• Exploration of legal structures and help with governance and registration  

• Mapping stakeholders and early community engagement or member recruitment 

• Exploring options and planning next steps 

• Fundraising strategy and strategic planning 

• Peer support and visits to other organisations using community shares 

• Valuations, surveys and legal advice 

• Setting up digital systems, information management, financial management 

• Setting up a basic online presence and early marketing / community outreach  

• Defining the project 

• Developing a business plan 

• Scoping overall capital needs 

• Financial modelling