Enterprise Gateway Fund

The Henry Smith Foundation’s Enterprise Gateway Fund is a three-year programme designed to strengthen the financial resilience of VCSE organisations and social entrepreneurs across the UK by helping them develop enterprise and trading income.

The programme will fund experienced intermediary organisations that can provide a combination of enterprise development support and grant funding to charities, community organisations and social entrepreneurs.

Funding available includes:

• £500,000 to £1.5 million over three years for intermediary organisations
• Intermediaries will use funding to provide enterprise support and onward grants
• Individual onward grants can be up to £40,000
• Support will focus particularly on organisations and communities that are currently underserved by enterprise funding and business support

The programme aims to help VCSE organisations become less reliant on traditional grant funding by developing sustainable income from selling goods or services. Support could help organisations strengthen commercial skills, test and develop enterprise ideas, invest in systems or capacity, and increase earned income.

Applicants for the main fund need to demonstrate experience and capability in both enterprise development and grant-making.

The wider aim is to build the confidence, capability and infrastructure needed to help social organisations turn viable enterprise ideas into sustainable sources of income while continuing to deliver their social mission.

Application deadline: 22 January 2027.

Find out more.