Social Enterprise Grant Programme
Currently closed
The Realising Market Potential fund is designed to help social enterprises in the region grow their businesses and strengthen the local social economy.
With a total fund of £50,000 available, social enterprises were able to apply for grants of up to £5,000 to support innovative projects that explore new markets, launch pilot initiatives, or expand existing activities.
Who could apply
The programme was open to incorporated social enterprises in Dumfries and Galloway, including
- Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations (SCIOs)
- Companies Limited by Guarantee
- Community Interest Companies
- Cooperatives
- Community Benefit Societies
Organisations must have an asset lock clause in their governing documents and commit to paying at least the Real Living Wage for all staff and contractors delivering the funded activity.
What the grant funds
Eligible costs include staff and volunteer expenses, training, events, market research, equipment, and project delivery costs.
The grant programme is managed by Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway, with decisions made by an independent scoring panel of experts familiar with Dumfries and Galloway communities.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
Round one
Absolute Classics – Absolute Jazz – £5,000
Creating a three-year development plan that seeks to diversify the cultural offerings of the organisation and tap into new markets by broadening the range of musical genres featured in its events.
Building Futures Galloway Ltd – A Community Model for Heritage Skills Training – £5,000
Funding for a temporary education assistant, to assist at a critical point in the development of their ‘skills centre’. This will allow the marketing and promotional materials to be updated and so increase awareness of the services on offer.
Care Training and Consultancy CIC – E-learning Development – £2,900
Creating a blended approach to teaching by purchasing a Videotile Distributor package, enabling the design of online video-based training packages. This will increase the accessibility of online training for students. Also, by diversifying its model to become a delivery partner for an existing industry-leading e-learning and online video production company, it will increase the scope of the organisation.
Castle Douglas Community Information Technology Centre – Refurbish IT – £4,525
Purchasing high tech equipment to repair technology. This will increase the profile of the organisation and allow them to expand their services across a wider geographical area, reaching more people.
Creation Mill CIC – With Wool and Peat – £4,085.29
Researching and developing innovative new wool products, using sheep fleeces which would otherwise go to waste. They are also creating a brand package to promote these products and so realise their market potential.
Galloway Food Hub / Propagate Scotland (CIC) – Galloway Food Hub – £4,948.71
Procuring office materials and accounting software to support the project becoming a standalone CIC. This will give better visibility to the activities of the organisation and help achieve more sustainable business growth.
Glenkens Community and Arts Trust – Innovating the Cat Strand’s Cafe and Shop – £4,141
Purchasing a laptop to enable them to run software to analyse sales data, identify trends and opportunities for market development. Marketing materials to help promote the shop and café and a retail expert consultant to improve market potential.
The Langholm Initiative – Langholm Initiative Eco-Learning Centre – £4,900
Developing market analysis and a marketing plan for an eco-learning business in Tarras Valley Nature Reserve. This will allow them to understand the potential of this business opportunity and assist them in orientating themselves to the most appropriate markets.
Stranraer Millennium Centre Community Trust – Shout out Stranraer – £4,500
Part-funding an Events and Marketing Officer to develop an event plan throughout the year. This will ensure a diverse range of activities that cater to the interests of the local community and support the visitor experience.
Stranraer Water Sports Association – Accelerating Water Sports Development in Stranraer – £5,000
Delivering market research and a marketing plan to maximise social enterprise revenue generation, in particular the event ‘Skiffle Worlds’ and the opening of new sporting facilities. This will increase footfall and raise the profile of the organisation within the water sports sector.
The Whithorn Trust – Pilot Machars Archaeology Field School – £5,000
Supporting staff fees for project design, setup, training materials and health and safety. This will increase public engagement with archaeology through involvement of a wide community, including schools and creating content for their website. This combined with a social media campaign will help keep public interest alive in archaeology.
Round two
Building Futures Galloway Ltd – Skills Passports – £4,255
Supporting the design, development and printing of a pilot ‘Skills Passport’, enabling young people to evidence heritage construction skills, gain professional sign-off, and support SVQ qualifications and progression into training, employment or education.
Castle Douglas Community Information Technology Centre – ReBoot D&G – £4,965.35
Purchasing replacement parts to refurbish more donated devices, expand digital inclusion across Dumfries and Galloway, create youth training placements, reduce waste and pilot a low-cost sales model to test future sustainability.
Creation Mill CIC-Community Cloth – Tarras Tweed – £2,825.65
Delivering community textile workshops, materials, skilled facilitators and marketing to co-design and produce a limited-edition Tarras Tweed scarf collection, building heritage skills, community participation and a sustainable local textile brand.
Lets Get Sporty CIC-Lets Get Sporty – New Futures – £5,000
Creating a website upgrade to support new facilities and income generation and consultancy to assess SQA accreditation and a franchise model, enabling sustainable growth ahead of Lochvale House’s 2026 expansion.
Mill on the Fleet Cafe CIC – Building our Community at the Mill Café – £4,500
Purchasing event equipment, improved signage and upgraded café facilities to boost capacity and visibility, alongside developing a strategic growth plan to support the Mill Café’s sustainable development as a community-focused social enterprise.
SHAX – Sleep Soundly – £4,975
Purchasing a mattress-cleaning machine to recycle locally, reduce landfill, lower transport costs, and provide affordable, sanitized mattresses.
Sleeping Giants Community Development CIC – Neuroaffirming Workplaces: Building our Market Potential in the South of Scotland – £4,700
Building strategic partnerships, developing and piloting neurodiversity training, prioritising tools and approaches, designing a two-year pilot and strengthening team expertise to establish regional leadership.
Stranraer Millennium Centre Community Trust – Stage and Celebration Upgrade Project – £4,763
Purchasing eighty new chairs and professional lighting and projection equipment, expanding capacity, enhancing performances, reducing hire costs, and improving weddings, events and community experiences at their venue.
The Furniture Project (Stranraer) Ltd – Re-Build – £5,000
Launching a pilot social enterprise, purchasing equipment to collect, refurbish and sell reusable building materials, testing its model, creating jobs, reducing waste, lowering carbon emissions and supporting community regeneration.
The Whithorn Trust-Time Travel by Bike – £4,816
Developing printed and digital archaeology cycling tours of the Machars, funding staff, design, maps, helmets, and picnic packages, promoting heritage interpretation, slow tourism, local businesses and visitor engagement.
UNACCI A’ the Airts – Knitting Promotion – £4,200
Purchasing new laptops, upgrade technology and produce professional training videos, enabling in-person and online Sanquhar knitting courses. It will also support marketing nationally and internationally, boosting workshop efficiency, global reach, revenue and preservation of local knitting heritage.