This report from the Office of the Third Sector describes the outcome of projects designed to promote private investment in social enterprises.

Community Innovation UK led the project which created a Social Enterprise Angel Network to encourage greater use of equity finance by social enterprises and greater investment into the sector by private investors. The project worked with investors to help them engage with social enterprises and understand their own unique mix of blended value. Outcomes of the project include provision of education and advice to over 35 social enterprises, and approximately 800,000 pounds of new private investment into the sector, with other deals in development. Future outcomes will include specialist consultancy on investment readiness, further development of the Social Enterprise Angel Network, and the potential for a complementary fund.

The Charity Bank led the project to find out how best to encourage new investors into the social investment market and to develop a working link between social investors and enterprises seeking finance. It also set up a pipeline of new product ideas to entice new deposits and customers. The outcome of the project is a group of online retail channels, the creation of a branch network, and a social investment fund. Charity Bank agreed over 17 million pounds of loans in 2007 and almost 10 million pounds of loans are in the pipeline. The average loan size in 2007 was 159,000 pounds

The report is available from the Cabinet Office. . http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/~/media/assets/www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/Social%20Investment%20Pilots%20pdf.ashx