SEAS Partnership Powers Social Enterprise Success

On the 4th of October 2023, Plymouth City Council awarded a contract to deliver social enterprise business advice to a partnership headed by Iridescent Ideas. This venture became known as the Social Enterprise Advice and Support Programme or ‘SEAS’ for short.
 
With two months left to run, the programme has been incredibly successful and smashed 117% of its targets. Take a look at some of our impact so far:

• Over £90,000 of external investment raised – nearly double the value of the contract - added value which wasn’t originally expected
• 21 new social enterprise businesses created
• 20 jobs created
• Over 150 people and organizations reached with advice and support against an original target of 100.

​So what’s been behind this success?

Well, there is magic in bringing a committed and skilled group of people together to make something happen. The SEAS Programme is delivered by a special partnership of the following local organisations: Iridescent Ideas CIC, BCause, Cosmic, Diversity Business Incubator, Drift, Enterprise with Purpose, Plymouth Social Enterprise Network, POP and Real Ideas.
 
This partnership brings together organizations and individuals with a wide range of skills and deep experience in the social enterprise and co-op development arena. Between us we have extensive expertise in digital skills, social investment, legal structures and governance, business planning, social impact reporting, financial management, the creative sector, networking and an insightful understanding of the policy landscape in which social enterprises and co-ops operate.
 
Credit is due to the ‘partnership’ with the council too for the way that they have managed the contract. It’s been far from transactional. They have been supportive and shown trust and confidence in our ability to get on with the work – enabling us to deliver what we know is needed in the way that works for social entrepreneurs.
 
We have supported a diverse range of groups and people too. Our demographic data shows that:

• 61% of beneficiaries are women
• 14% are from global majority communities
• 28% have long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses
• 32% are aged over 50.

 
SEAS has supported social enterprises like Plymouth Jollof Kitchen CIC. SEAS helped them create a website to professionalise their offer and enable online sales. We’ve also supported them to develop their governance. Maryam Chaanda, director of Plymouth Jollof Kitchen, said: “SEAS has provided advice that is patient and understanding through all the stages of constructing the website. It has enabled a new look that is attracting online traffic to the business as well as showcasing our community engagement. We’ve been helped to put in place better policies and governance covering contracts, volunteering roles, conflicts of interest, safeguarding and improved financial controls.”
 
Social enterprises like Queer Out Loud CIC. SEAS helped with financial management and registering a company. Mimi Jones, director of Queer Out Loud, said: “Without the support from SEAS, we wouldn’t have made anywhere near as much progress as we have, and thus wouldn’t have been able to support the community that we do. Knowing that there are experts local to us that we can ask all the ‘silly questions’ without feeling shame is an invaluable resource.”
 
And individuals like Louise Knight. Louise has set up SENDLou to offer advice to parents and caregivers of children with special educational needs and disabilities. We supported Louise around business development and registering a social enterprise company. Louise said: “I have had the confidence to launch with a clear target audience in mind. This has helped me create a business strategy that has proven effective as I have made a profit in my first year.”
 
The programme delivers fully funded, expert, one-to-one advice that is bespoke to the needs of the client. We’ve delivered workshops on bread-and-butter business topics such as marketing and branding, financial management, networking and cybersecurity and also on innovative and creative subjects such as AI and productivity, digital fund-raising, immersive technology and content creation. All with a social and inclusive economy theme.
 
SEAS is funded through Plymouth City Council by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The contract is due to end in March 2025 but we know that there is significant and ongoing demand for the partnership’s services. The work also fits the central pillars of Plymouth’s new economic strategy, particularly around building an inclusive economy and supporting good growth business models.
 
We hope to be able to secure ongoing finance to continue to make a difference. Collectively we are trying to build a greener, fairer, more socially enterprising and co-operative city. We know that this type of specialist business advice, delivered by an inspiring partnership, is needed: it works and creates substantial impact for people and communities.
 
For more information about the SEAS programme visit: https://www.iridescentideas.com/seas-programme.html.