Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply for the Reach Fund?

To be eligible for the Reach Fund, your organisation should be a charity or social enterprise and must meet the following criteria: 

• be based in and operate in England
• have a clear social mission or recognised charitable purpose
• distribute less than 50% of post-tax profits and reinvest at least 51%of its surpluses into pursuing its social mission
• have a constitutional or contractual lock on its social mission, its dividend and surplus distribution policy and “asset lock”
• be referred to the programme by an Access Point.

Any organisation can complete the stage 1 form but in order to fully apply for a grant you must have been in contact with a designated Access Point who will approve your registration.

How much money is available?

We expect most grants to be between £5,000 - £15,000 but will be able to offer more in exceptional circumstances.

What can I use the grant for?

Grants must be used to implement the investment support plan as developed by your Access Point. This may involve paying an external support provider, paying the Access Point to deliver specific work or your organisation to do the work yourself.

For more information see What can grants be used for

Who decides whether or not a grant is approved?

All applications for grants will be approved by a grant decision panel from the Social Investment Business.

Can I apply if I do not have an Access Point?

You cannot apply for a grant if you do not have an Access Point. You can complete a stage 1 applicaiton, but in order to complete a stage 2 application you will need to be working with an Access Point.

What is an Access Point?

An Access Point is a social investor who has been approved to refer organisations they are working with to the fund.

A full list of Access Points is available via the Access Point Directory.

How much money is available?

In November 2021 the Access Foundation announced that a further £10m would be allocated to the Reach Fund over the next 4 years.

We expect most grants to be between £5,000 and £15,000 but will be able to offer more in exceptional circumstances.

My application has not been approved – where else can I get support?

There are other sources of grant funding available if the Reach Fund is not right for you. 

For more information about the range of funding options available please visit www.goodfinance.org.uk.

Why do I need an Access Point?

One of the main purposes of this fund is to test a new model of support that puts social investors at the heart of the process. You are unable to apply unless you are already working with one of our approved social investors - an Access Point.

A full list of Access Points is available in the Access Point Directory.

How are Access Points selected?

Social investors must apply to become Access Points. They must complete an application form and are then approved by the fund manager, Social Investment Business.

How can I become an Access Point?

In order to become an Access Point please contact us.

What is Access – The Foundation for Social Investment?

Access aims to support charities and social enterprises taking the first step on the social investment journey, when other forms of repayable finance don’t suit their needs or are out of reach.

For more information visit the Access website.

What is Social Investment Business?

Social Investment Business provides loans, grants and support to charities and social enterprises to help them change the lives of the people they work with. 

They have helped hundreds of organisations become more resilient and sustainable so that they are in the best place to grow and increase their impact.

They were one of the UK’s first social investors and since 2002 have provided over £500 million worth of loans and grants for extraordinary organisations all across the country.

For more information visit the Social Investment Business website.

What is Social investment?

Social investment is repayable finance that creates both social and financial returns. It is provided to charities, social enterprises and socially motivated businesses. Investors expect to get their money back (often with interest) and expect the finance to have created identifiable social impact. Social investment is not a grant or a donation. It is money provided to enable an organisation to generate more income or be more effective: money to grow its business, put in place better systems, do more social good, and it repays the investment in the process.

For more information see What is social investment?