Growth Accelerator for Social Entrepreneurs

Peer Growth Circles remain a core element of the Growth Accelerator, bringing leaders together to share their lived experiences, reflect on challenges faced, and explore opportunities for collaboration. 

Dates are currently scheduled to February 2027.  Sessions may focus on areas such as strategy, funding, marketing, leadership, or the use of new tools and technologies, and provide a supportive and welcoming environment for both new and existing participants.

 

The Growth Accelerator online handbook is now freely accessible to all organisations with social purpose.  The handbook offers an opportunity for self-paced learning and brings together tools, templates and guidance delivered through the formal programme.  Embedded resources support enterprises to strengthen their governance, plan for sustainable growth and improve their investment readiness.

Divided into five sections, each part of the handbook provides an explanation of how to create growth, with suggested tasks for completion:

• Introduction to growth
• The importance of strategy to growth
• Building a business case for growth
• Building credible teams
• Implementing growth

Materials have been designed to be practical and worked through alone, or with team members, trustees, boards and volunteers.

Our Growth Accelerator Funding Fair takes place in February and aims to connect social entrepreneurs with regional and national funders, investors and support organisations.  In addition to providing space for networking with sector leaders, the event offers opportunities to explore funding and investment options, build relationships with support organisations and gain tips on how to strengthen your value proposition and funding applications.  Registration opens annually in December but you can register your interest now.

In our dedicated podcast for the VCSE, we look at themes of growth, delve deeper into the stories of the people at the heart of Leicester's social sector, and how they have used business strategies to address social problems and drive meaningful change.

Hosted by Tobias Gould, Business Innovation Fellow at the University of Leicester School of Business and a director at Community Enterprise Engine, each episode features one of our academic experts and a local social entrepreneur exploring the hurdles faced by the sector.  Subscribe to 'Social Entrepreneurs'

Episode One

Strategy: "Why do social entrepreneurs need to be good at strategy?"

Episode Two

Tech for good: "How can smart tech help communities?"

Episode Three

AI for VCSEs: "How can social entrepreneurs make best use of AI technology?"

Episode Four

Creating blue skies and blue oceans: "What does the VCSE need to stop doing and what do they need to create, to open up uncontested markets?"

Episode Five

High performing teams: "Why should social enterprises build investable and transformative teams?"

Episode Six

Special episode: "When social investment is a good thing"

 

 

 

The programme continues to encourage collaborative activity between sector leaders through working with new partner organisations, developing new ideas and responding to shared challenges and funding bids.  Several of the participating organisations from the original Growth Accelerator for Social Entrepreneurs phase developed new partnerships and successful initiatives or submitted joint funding applications because of these activities.

 

The Growth Accelerator contributes to research and knowledge exchange in the VCSE sector through the University of Leicester School of Business.  This valuable work includes developing insight into social enterprise growth, resilience and long-term sustainability.  The research team involves its wider network, from Voluntary Action LeicesterShire to East Midlands Chamber and public sector organisations.