The Booster Programme offers support and funding to help new and existing community businesses in England that are soon planning to make, or have recently launched, community share offers by providing:
- Development grants of up to £10,000 to prepare a community share offer: financial planning, governance support, marketing costs and being awarded the Community Shares Standard Mark.
- Match equity investment – typically matching pound for pound up to £100,000 invested by the Booster Programme, providing that the minimum share offer target is achieved.
- Ongoing support and advice as an active investor in community businesses.
The programme offers three levels of support, dependent on an applicant’s stage of development:
- Pathway one – an initial development grant of up to £10,000 to help applicants prepare their community share offer, followed by the chance to secure matched investment of up to £100,000 for their share offer.
- Pathway two – a matched investment of up to £100,000 for community share offers, at least three months ahead of the offer launch date.
- Pathway three – a matched investment of up to £100,000 for community share offers that are less than three months ahead of launching or are open for investment.
