Projects > Current Opportunities > The Grow Fund
Part of the UK’s first community-led investment fund
Investing with & for the people of
Barking & Dagenham
For too long the people who are most affected by funding decisions have been excluded from the decision-making process. In Barking and Dagenham, we’re changing that!
What is the GROW Fund?
Our funding and investment approach looks at the social impact
Social ImpactThe positive or negative effect that an individual, organisation or project has on the well-being and welfare of a community or society as a whole.
of the money we hold, not just the financial return
. The GROW Fund was developed by residents of the borough (a Community Steering Group) with money transferred by the Council to BD Giving.
After months of learning about investment and sharing ideas about what they want to achieve the
Community Steering Group
chose to use some of it to support local entrepreneurs who are committed to growing businesses that are good for people and the planet.
Social ImpactThe positive or negative effect that an individual, organisation or project has on the well-being and welfare of a community or society as a whole.Return
The amount of money you expect to get back from an investment,
usually as a percentage gained over a set period of time.
Community Steering Group (CSG)
A group of local people who give their time and ideas to make Barking & Dagenham Giving’s community-led investment fund a success, now and for future generations.
The potential of the GROW Fund
Barking and Dagenham has been chronically underfunded despite acute need.
Our aim is for Barking and Dagenham to become the fastest-growing borough for social sector funding and
impact
investment over the next three years. We know tackling systemic issues like child obesity, domestic abuse and a lack of opportunities for young people takes time. We’re in it for the long haul.
Designed by our Community Steering Group, the GROW Fund is supporting local, purpose-driven organisations to grow and have more social impact
Social ImpactThe positive or negative effect that an individual, organisation or project has on the well-being and welfare of a community or society as a whole.
in the borough. We want our investments to be sustainable and have deep impact.
Barking & Dagenham is full of opportunity and community energy; local people have the appetite to improve the borough and community-led social investment
Social InvestmentUsing money to help people and communities while also making money back.
can accelerate their efforts.
But we need additional funding to make our social investment pot go further and administer the loans.
Impact Means the changes to the world we expect to see because of an investment. This could be numbers of people helped, the amount of change or the creation of things that make the world better. This is not exclusive to investment or finance.
Social ImpactThe positive or negative effect that an individual, organisation or project has on the well-being and welfare of a community or society as a whole.
Social InvestmentUsing money to help people and communities while also making money back.
60% of applications in our first round were from Black-led ventures, and 70% from women-led enterprises.
Get in touch if you want to be a part of England’s first community-led social investment
Kate Harmatz
Head of Fundraising and Partnerships
Meet Barking & Dagenham’s Entrepreneurs
Eight local business owners joined the first GROW Fund accelerator programme in May 2023. They each received a grant
GrantA gift of money with no expectation of paying it back. Sometimes, there are certain ‘conditions’ or requirements attached to the money. In other cases, there are not.
of £25,000 and are taking part in a seven-month accelerator programme, covering everything a business needs to GROW sustainably, with help from our partners at Impact Hub London.
GrantA gift of money with no expectation of paying it back. Sometimes, there are certain ‘conditions’ or requirements attached to the money. In other cases, there are not.
The entrepreneur’s grants are kindly donated by the Lankelly Chase Foundation. In November 2023, they can apply for repayable finance from the GROW Fund.
The entrepreneurs are:
