Big Issue Invest Trust

Big Issue Invest Trust (BIIT), the charitable arm of Big Issue Invest within the Big Issue Group, was established in 1994 (originally as the Local Investment Fund) to provide grants and support to UK charities and social enterprises tackling poverty and inequality. Rooted in the Big Issue's mission to dismantle exclusion through sustainable, business-led interventions, BIIT champions social equity, empowerment, and community-driven development, prioritizing organizations facing barriers to mainstream finance and delivering high social impact in deprived communities.

It funds initiatives addressing economic and social exclusion, including employability and skills training for marginalized groups, digital and financial capability building, inclusive enterprise opportunities, and capacity-building for social trading. Signature programmes like the Vendor Enterprise Programme offer micro-grants and mentoring to Big Issue vendors starting micro-enterprises, while others such as Power Up London target early-stage social enterprises catalyzing community transformation. Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and social enterprises (especially small, early-stage ones under five years old, grassroots, or beneficiary-led), operating UK-wide with a focus on deprived areas; no religious restrictions apply, but strong community ties and systemic change ambitions are key.

Grants typically range from £500 to £20,000 for project, seed, capacity-building, or core costs tied to sustainability and traded income growth. Unsolicited applications are not accepted—funding occurs via time-limited, programme-specific online forms with deadlines like 25 June 2025 or 5 December 2025 for current rounds; decisions follow in 6-12 weeks. Distinctively, BIIT avoids short-term relief, emphasizing lasting empowerment and self-help over commercial viability, differentiating it as a catalyst for resilient social entrepreneurship among the excluded.