Do you have a local community asset but don’t know what it could be turned into? Or a community business idea that you don’t know how to get off the ground? If you are a community group or organisation who would like to set up a community business but need a bit of support, then this fund is for you. 
The Community Business Bright Ideas Fund aims to give community groups in England the support and tools to start setting up their community business. It will also give them early stage finance they need to carry out consultation with local people and feasibility.
The fund aims to help organisations explore a project idea; start up a community business, and attract other funding. Bright Ideas will provide successful
organisations with:
1. Business development support: Up to 12 days of business development support from Locality, Plunkett Foundation, or Co-operatives UK.
2. Learning, events and peer networking: The opportunity to learn from existing community businesses, through visits and events
3. Grant funding: The opportunity to apply for a grant of up to £15,000 to develop your idea and/or improve your organisation’s capability, depending on your needs.
To be considered for support and funding through Bright Ideas in this round, you must:
• be a group, an organisation or an association, not an individual
• be based in England
• have an idea for a community business
• not have been constituted for more than 5 years at the time of making an application
To apply, you need to answer a few questions which will determine whether you are eligible for Bright Ideas. You can find this at: http://mycommunity.org.uk/funding-options/bright-ideas-fund/. If you are eligible to apply you will be automatically sent a link by email to the application form.
For further information and to apply, visit: www.powertochange.org.uk/funding/grants/community-business-bright-ideas/, or contact 0300 020 1864.
Deadline: Friday 1 December 2017, 17:00