Spring Impact Spring Impact

Social Impact at Scale

Spring Impact Spring Impact

Scale Accelerator

Scale Accelerator helps mission-driven organisations gain the strategic clarity, confidence, and skills necessary to reach more people in a sustainable way.

"It is not something you do and forget about. It is something we will forever and ever build on to make us permanently better.” - (Previous participant)

Applications now closed.

Is there a pressing social issue that you are passionate about addressing? Do you feel that your organisation should be doing even more to solve it?

Scale Accelerator supports UK based charities and social enterprises who are ambitious about getting their proven solutions to more people in more places.

The 2021 programme will include two routes:

1. Scale Accelerator: Intensive Consultancy – a 6-month, highly-subsidised programme offering £35,000 worth of bespoke consultancy, strategic support, and peer to peer learning opportunities with a network of forward-thinking social leaders.

2. Scale Accelerator: Leaders of Scale – a 4-month intensive training programme supporting leaders of mission-driven organisations to build the skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to be a change agent within their organisation.

Applications have closed on Monday, 12 April 2021, at 11:59pm.

Applications now closed

Interested in future cohorts?

Register your interest

What to expect from Scale Accelerator

The long-term benefits

After receiving support from Spring Impact, organisations have: 

Expanded their solution to several locations.“We have been able to double the size of our work.”

Accessed funding to pursue their scale journey. Many of our Alumni report that Scale Accelerator has helped them unlock funding. 

Identified high quality partners to work with. “Our funding in the last year is very good, better than ever because of the fact that we partner with external stakeholders.”

Found ways to reach more people sustainably. “At the beginning, as an organisation we were unsure about our direction. After one year, we were having sustainability.”

Built movements to effect systems change at scale. See our Mayday case study here.

Established unity amongst their team and board. “We have all come together in our ambition to scale up.”

What will you gain from each programme route?

Do you have a great solution that you know needs to reach more people? Want to figure out how to make that happen in a sustainable way?

Intensive Consultancy

Taking place between June and December 2021, this route offers over £35,000 worth of bespoke consultancy and peer to peer learning support.

The programme will help you work out how to reach more people (without necessarily needing to grow your organisation!).

We’ll work collaboratively with you to think through what your programme could look like in new locations, how you might approach working with partners to implement your solution elsewhere, and how to find the right balance between reaching more people and maintaining the quality of your solution.

“Our funding in the last year has been very good, better than ever because of the fact that we partner with external stakeholders” – (Previous participant)

Find out more

Interested?

Check your eligibility

Find out if this route is a perfect fit

Are you a social leader who wants to lead your organisation on its journey to reach more people?

Leaders of Scale

Taking place between June and September 2021, this route will equip two members of your team with the knowledge and abilities to make key strategic decisions and become agents of change within your organisation.

You will learn all you need to know about scale (from key methodologies and concepts to strategic approaches and financial modelling), while gaining the leadership capabilities necessary to implement your plans going forward.

“I learnt things that I did not even know that I needed to know around the importance of process and structure and frameworks.” – (Previous participant)

Find out more

Interested?

Check your eligibility

Find out if this route is the perfect fit
“

The programme was truly transformative for us, giving us clarity, guidance and a plan that accelerated us forward!

”
— Mayday Trust

How do I know which route is for me?

Intensive Consultancy

  • Are you a UK-based charity or social enterprises with an annual revenue over £150k?
  • Is your organisation solving a pressing social need, and is able to demonstrate evidence of impact?
  • Are you thinking about scaling seriously?
  • Do you want strategic clarity, guidance, and expertise to move forward sustainably?
  • Contributions will be required from the organisations taking part. Will you be able to secure match funding to cover your contribution to the programme?

If the answer is yes, this route could be for you.

Check your eligibility.

Leaders of Scale

  • Is your organisation working to solve a pressing social need, demonstrating evidence of impact?
  • Are you leading a UK-based charity or social enterprises?
  • Would you like to be in the driving seat of your organisation’s scaling journey?
  • Have you just started thinking about scale and want to figure out how to go about it? 
  • The Leaders of Scale programme will involve two individuals from your team, with one acting as the lead internally. Will the lead have the capacity needed to commit – around 10-11 days across 4 months? 

If the answer is yes, this route could be for you.

Check your eligibility.

We are particularly interested in applications from:

  • Organisations addressing an issue that has worsened as a result of COVID-19
  • Organisations based in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland
  • Organisations led by people with lived experience
  • Organisations supporting BAME groups and/or with BAME leadership

What previous participants say

Watch the video below to learn more about previous participants' experiences.

Not sure it's the right time?

Register your interest

You'll be the first to know when applications for future programmes open.

Want to find out more?

Watch our webinar

Watch a recording of our Scale Accelerator Taster Session to learn more about the programme and whether it's right for you.
Watch here

Scale Accelerator case studies

Learnings and insights

Previous Scale Accelerator participants

Scale Accelerator

Age UK Cheshire provides care and support services to elderly people including physical and mental health and be an active member of their community. This in turn empowers them to love later life. We worked with Age UK Cheshire to explore how their Men in Sheds programme could be scaled up.

Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator

A Band of Brothers is a nonprofit established by men committed to positive social change through personal development and community building. A Band of Brothers was a participant in our first UK Scale Accelerator  programme.

Scale Accelerator

Bikeworks is a London based non-profit social enterprise that uses cycling as a tool to tackle social and environmental challenges in the community. It aims to build a diverse cycling community, initiate capability of mechanical skills and supports businesses to be greener.

Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator

Groundswell is a nonprofit which works to tackle homelessness by working with homeless people and enable othem to take more control of their lives, have a greater influence on services, and therefore set a chain reaction of togetherness and opportunity. We worked with Groundswell to scale the impact of their Homeless Health Peer Advocacy Programme that partners former homeless with current homeless, to ensure health appointments are met.

Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator

Leonard Cheshire Disability is a nonprofit supporting disabled people in the UK and around the world to remain active members of society, fulfil their potential and establish their independence.  We specifically helped Leonard Cheshire to scale their CAN DO project: a volunteer programme for 16-35-year-olds across the UK.

 
Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator

RECLAIM is a social change organisation that challenges the homogeneity that exists in the leadership profiles across UK society and supports youths and the working class people.

 
Scale Accelerator

Safer Places is a nonprofit which provides a comprehensive range of services to adults and children affected by domestic and sexual abuse, not only offering safe accommodation (West Essex, Mid Essex, Hertfordshire and Southend) but helping victims to overcome these experiences and build a better future for themselves.

Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator

Staying Put is a UK nonprofit which offers a range of services to victims and survivors of domestic abuse and aims to empower them to safely remain in their own home and community.

Scale Accelerator

Street Doctors is a UK nonprofit who change the lives of high risk young people by giving them the skills they need to deliver life-saving first aid. Through the programme Street Doctors aim to increase the confidence and aspirations of youths, give them a sense of responsibility for their actions and help them to change their attitudes towards violence.

We facilitated an initial workshop with Street Doctors to consider their replication potential and are now providing ongoing support and advice to Street Doctors as they develop a replication model for international expansion.

Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator

The Reader is an award winning UK social enterprise working to connecting people with great literature through shared reading. Furthermore, it pioneers the use of shared reading to improve well-being, reduce social isolation and build resilience across diverse communities.

Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator

Vi-ability, based in North Wales, is a social enterprise working with young adults to transform struggling community sports clubs into viable, thriving businesses and hubs, using this as a catalyst for entrepreneurship and engaging youths into local communities. It provides opportunities to develop skills by offering training, work experience and qualifications in commercial sports management.

Scale Accelerator
Scale Accelerator
Action West London is a social enterprise that runs Acton Street Market, which brings diverse communities together by creating entrepreneurial opportunities and an inclusive, high profile public space.
Scale Accelerator
Urban Uprising is a Scotland-based charity using rock-climbing to improve the wellbeing of at-risk 8 to 18 year olds in the UK who are disadvantaged by poverty, health and other inequalities.
Scale Accelerator
Settle is a London charity that supports vulnerable young people moving into their first home, as part of a mission to break the cycle of youth homelessness
Scale Accelerator
PeacePlayers International is a cross-community charity that uses basketball to unite, educate and inspire young people in Northern Ireland, as a means to promote peace and reconciliation
Scale Accelerator
Social Bite is a social enterprise running an employment support programme for vulnerable and marginalised people experiencing homelessness across Scotland
Scale Accelerator
Humber All Nations Alliance is a charity promoting the  well-being of Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and migrant communities throughout Hull and the Humber.
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