Social Venture Academy
Introduction
The Entrepreneurship and
Innovation Group (EIG) of Essex Business School
has
developed a unique new initiative, the Social Venture Academy (SVA), under the
auspices of the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF)
scheme. This innovative initiative
will aim to establish a creative platform for the generation, consolidation and
realisation of new ideas for social
enterprises, and social capital in the community of students, citizens and
organisations engaged in productive social and economic change.
What is SVA?
SVA will
support the creation and growth of innovative social and community enterprises
by University of Essex in partnership
with community groups in Essex, and 'The Big Issue' one of UKs largest and successful social enterprises. This
development will take two forms:
- the
establishment of new social enterprises by students;
and
- the
promotion and enhancement of existing socialenterprises with students working alongside champions, managers, employees, and volunteers of these enterprises.
How
will SVA work?
There will be 3 stages in the SVA initiative:
Stage 1:
EIG will host an 'awareness raising' event in the new year to invite all
students with an interest in SE development. All participants will be asked to
prepare outline social enterprise plans
with a view to obtaining specific forms of support. The outline proposals will be prepared and submitted by
participants in between Stages 1 and 2. Click here for stage 1
event.
Stage 2:
All shortlisted proposals will be presented to a panel of University staff and
other organisational representatives at the end of March 2010. Participants from
a final shortlist will be mentored and coached with a view to pitching their
proposals to a panel of reviewers at the third and final stage. Click
here for stage 2 event.
Stage 3:
pitching the ideas to potential funders and other sources of support by the
final list of participants towards the end of October 2010. Considerable counselling
and mentoring surgeries
will be provided, by EIG. Click here for stage 3 event.