Supporting individuals to make positive change in the world:

The UnLtd* model

UnLtd: the Fund for Social Entrepreneurs

*read Unlimited

MissionUnLtd’s mission is to reach out and unleash the energies of individual people to transform the world in which they live. We call these people social entrepreneurs.

UnLtd vision:

A world where people act to make it better

Back people first, projects second

Communities which face problems contain the people who will create the solutions

Minimise bureaucracy, maximise opportunity, trust judgement, back hunches

If there is a question about what is best, act and then learn from the results

UnLtd* philosophy

UnLtd* UK – Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs

UnLtd UK core funding of £100m was provided in year 2000 by government the Millennium Awards Trust

From this endowment UnLtd UK earns £4.5m pa plus £4.5m from other funders who want to deliver support to social entrepreneurs in their field of interest.

• 80 staff in 7 offices around the UK• £9m pa turnover• The world’s largest programme of support for start up social entrepreneurs

The benefits of supporting social entrepreneurs:

Education, enterprise skills, confidence to act- vital in a recession and with rising unemployment

Social impact- the social impact of the projects carried out,

Social capital- people from disadvantaged communities stepping forward as active citizens, inspiring others and creating a sense that “yes, we can”

Economic regeneration- creation of jobs, volunteering placements, economic activity –sustainable & reinvesting profits

Social innovation- new ideas, authentic to their community

Social entrepreneurs in the UK

• In UK 1.7m people is involved a social venture of some kind

• 238,000 trying to start a social venture in any given year

• 35% of all nascent entrepreneurial activity is social

• social entrepreneurship is more common amongst the young, minorities, disadvantaged, educated; gender neutral

• social ventures started by older people more likely to sustain

Social entrepreneurs in the UK

• overwhelming majority start community ventures

• majority are informal and have no legal status

• those going to scale are more likely to be oriented to public service contracts or commercial

• growth sectors by cash turnover: public service, clean tech, waste/recycling, fair finance, food

• major sectors by number of people: sport, youth, community, internet/social media, green

• important gap in the “growth middle”

The UnLtd* modelOutreach to find people with:• Passion to improve the world• An idea they want to lead• The personal qualities to be an entrepreneur

Individual assessment of each person

Individually tailored package of:• Cash• Development support, advice and coaching• Networking face to face and online

Backed up by:• Partnerships • Research• Building public understanding

UnLtd is fundamentally about the person

Motivated

CommittedSolution focused

Talented

Strong Vision

Seize opportunity Can do

Resilient

Resourceful

Determined

Passionate

Entrepreneurialperson Risk taker

Willing to makesacrifices

… a person working for social benefit

These 5 factors are held in balance.

Social mission

Specific work fundedis not for profit

Evidence of social commitment

Project likely toachieve benefit

Intent to benefitsociety

SocialEntrepreneur

Solution is key UnLtd model back individual people because we believe they can

tackle a social problem; often they may be motivated from experience of that social problem, but our focus is on people who can be the solution to need

Authentic or biographic social entrepreneurs

Professional or careersocial entrepreneurs

People with skills andexperience who are committed

to using them forsocial change

People from communitiesfacing problems who offer a

solution

Solution

UnLtd* financial support in three steps

Level 3 support focuses on replication and scaling up

Level 2 support focuses on freeing up

an individual’s time to develop a project

Level 1 support focuses on first steps, building entrepreneurial capacity

Core Criteria for Level 1 funding

.

The individual

*Over the age of 16*An individual or small group

Social Impact

*Benefit the public or a community *New learning opportunity for applicants *New initiative*Entrepreneurial solution to a socialproblem*Instigate social impact or social change

Criteria for Level 2 and Level 3 funding

More then financial awards• UnLtd provide to support social entrepreneurs

- Learning materials- Support – our own and pro bono from corporates- Training – our own and through partners- Networking – peer to peer, peer to expert, peer to public

• Inspire people to be social entrepreneurs- Outreach

• Create a more fertile environment - Publicity - Lobbying- Partnerships

Special support programmes:

UnLtd Nominet Trust: social entrepreneurs using the internet RISE: refugee social entrepreneurs UnLtd HEI: social spin outs from universities, working

students and staff as social entrepreneurs Olderpreneurs: older people as social entrepreneurs, &

intergenerational work Eco Entrepreneurs: tackling climate change, carbon

reduction, recycling and upcycling Community entrepreneurs: focusing on local community Live UnLtd: supporting young social entrepreneurs aged 11 –

21.

UnLtd* social entrepreneurs generates benefit for wider communities

From a survey of 640 UnLtd Award Winners conducted inUK in 2006, was found that:

Through their projects, these 640 Award Winners worked with 86,500 individuals from some of the most deprived communities

More than half the projects enabled beneficiaries to form new support networks

More than half the projects facilitated new friendships – a means of enhancing community cohesion

And just under 1 in 3 projects resulted in new services or facilities

The UnLtd* Social entrepreneurs are sustainable

From an online survey conducted in UK in 2006:

39% of the Un Ltd Award Winners asked about their project income reported generating revenue from trading activities

These incomes generated on average 43% proportion of total income (the rest is fundraised)

Average funding secured is around £7400 compared to average award size £3100 (the rest is fundraised)

The majority of Award Winners responding to the survey anticipated that this would increase over the next two years, with an average target of 67% of total income to be generated from trading activities

UnLtd* social entrepreneurs are also

Disadvantaged (40% from 20% most disadvantaged)

Diverse (33% minority ethnic cf 11% population)

Gender equalEducated (50% degree level)

Younger Authentic (c80% biographically motivated)

Sustainable (59% project survival at 2 years)

* These figures are related to UnLtd* United Kingdom

Social entrepreneurship:a global phenomenon

People who see a problem and want to do something to solve it

People increasingly ready to start their own project rather than work for a big organisation

People wanting a balanced life: earning money and doing good, feeling fulfilled

Cultural and technological change enabling micro enterprise and at the same time enabling these micro enterprises to network for greater impact

UnLtd Czech Republic

Innovation Tank o.s. together with Hub Praha are setting up UnLtd Czech Republic, fund to finance and support social entrepreneurs.

UnLtd Czech Republic is looking for partners We call on NGOs, corporates, public institutions and individual

donors to support to join and work together For more information, please email petr@innovationtank.eu