Allia Impact announces new support programmes to strengthen Cambridge’s social impact sector

February 5, 2025

Allia Impact announces two new business support programmes for Cambridge residents and businesses, funded by the UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund. The programme is a collaborative effort led by Cambridge City Council and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority.

Recent research from Social Enterprise UK’s November 2024 Social Enterprise Barometer shows that social enterprises are facing significant challenges, with the proportion reporting turnover growth dropping from 65% to 50% in the past year.

The first programme, ‘Solo to Scale’, is designed to help freelancers and first-time founders transform their solo ventures into sustainable social enterprises. The free bootcamp programme offers expert-led workshops focused on business model development, customer understanding, and operational efficiency. Participants will receive practical tools for scaling, one-to-one strategy clinics, and networking opportunities with successful entrepreneurs.

‘Build to Win’, a six-week acceleration programme, responds to a clear sector need – with around a quarter of social enterprises citing lack of expertise as a barrier to growth. Through expert bid-writing workshops, masterclasses, and direct support, participants will learn how to create compelling narratives for funders, develop robust project budgets, and craft winning applications.

Both programmes reflect Allia’s Impact commitment to fostering sustainable business growth and social impact in Cambridge.

“At Allia Impact, we’re not just supporting businesses—we’re fuelling missions. These programmes give social enterprises and founders the skills, confidence, and connections to scale sustainably and create meaningful change in their communities.” – Umesh Kumar, Head of Venture Support, Allia Impact.

“We are delighted to be working with Allia Impact to support local social enterprises and community and voluntary sector organisations grow and achieve their goals. They play a vital role in the community and their growth and success is key to Cambridge’s future as a socially inclusive and sustainable place to live and work.” Cllr Alice Gilderdale, Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Economy and Skills, Cambridge City Council.

The programmes, running until March 2025, aim to help solopreneurs in the city of Cambridge formalise and scale their businesses while equipping social enterprises with the skills and confidence to secure support from funding sources such as local government, lottery foundations and social financing. Participants will also join Allia’s growing network of impact-focused organisations and gain access to ongoing peer support and resources.

The programmes will be delivered at Allia’s North Cambridge Future Business Centre, on King’s Hedges Road.

Eligible Cambridge-based entrepreneurs and organisations can apply now at https://bit.ly/BuildToWin and bit.ly/SoloToScaleCam.