Assessing and Funding CICs: What Funders Need to Know

Lunchtime Training Session (Online)

Community Interest Companies (CICs) have become an increasingly common model for organisations seeking to combine social purpose with the ability to trade. Since their introduction in 2006, CICs have grown steadily across the UK. In the West Midlands, this growth has accelerated in recent years, particularly since the pandemic, with many organisations emerging from grassroots crisis responses and formalising their work to continue supporting communities.

CICs are now especially prevalent in areas such as youth work, mental health, creative industries and employability. For founders, the structure offers flexibility, speed and a degree of independence. For funders, however, CICs can raise important questions around governance, regulation, financial sustainability and how best to assess risk.

Following strong interest from our previous WMFN session on CICs in October, this lunchtime training will explore current approaches to assessing and funding CICs. Richard Dowsett, Head of Funding Policy and Practice at the National Lottery Community Fund, will share insights into how the National Lottery Community Fund approaches CIC applications and the opportunities and challenges they see in funding this model.

The session will also create space for members to share their own experiences and approaches. It will be an opportunity to build greater confidence and proportionality when assessing CIC applications, and to learn from the practice of one of the UK’s largest grantmakers.

This is an online only session