Community Share Underwriting

Our Community Share Underwriting fund has been developed in response to the growing number of Community Benefit Societies seeking to raise funds through community share issues.

Community share issues are an effective way of mobilising retail investors to back social enterprises that they have a connection with. They have long been used to acquire pubs and village shops and have more recently been used for affordable housing, sustainable energy and community forestry / agriculture.

Projects approved for support from the fund will be able to draw down up to 50% of the community share issue target. They will be able to advertise this underwriting support on launch of the share issue, which will boost confidence among potential retail investors and encourage higher uptake.

Investors can participate in the fund in two ways either a direct investment in the fund or co-investing with the fund on individual deals, but paying a small management fee to the fund.