Power to Change — Trading for Good (Match Trading grant)

What it is

A cohort learning programme with a Match Trading grant of up to £4,000 for early-stage community businesses in England — the grant matches your year-on-year growth in trading income (£800 at the start, then quarterly instalments of up to £800) rather than paying a fixed sum, alongside 11 learning days over 12 months. The next programme runs 1 October 2027 – 31 October 2028; applications open Spring 2027, so the current step is registering interest.

Re-verified 2026-08-31 on the-sse.org programme page: applications are closed and will open again in Spring 2027; current step is register interest. Match Trading grant remains up to £4,000, with £800 at the start and further quarterly instalments tied to increased trading income; open to community businesses anywhere in England, with cohorts in Midlands, North West, South East and South West. Funder conditions the engine cannot express: must be a community business or working towards it, with a governing document, social purpose and asset lock; early-stage indicators are flexible (registered <5 years, few/no paid staff, total income under £100k as a guide); organisations led by and for minoritised communities particularly welcomed.