SIS COMMUNITY CAPITAL: EOI GUIDELINES
What is the SIS Community Capital Fund?
SIS Community Capital provides affordable unsecured finance over a six year term. It enables organisations to develop their business
and focus on delivering social impacts before repayments of the loan capital begin. It provides the time and space to generate income
and use cash flow to build revenues, paying interest only in the first 3 years at an affordable rate of just 6% p.a.
Eligible charities, community organisations and social enterprises who are successful in securing a SIS Community Capital investment
could also lever in further investment in time using their approved status and the tax reliefs available.
Applications are sought from enterprises looking for investments of between £25,000 and £100,000
The funding is ideally suited to established social enterprises which are looking to expand or replicate their business or capital projects
as well as a range of other purposes.
How do I know if I’m eligible?
The guidelines included in the table below will provide you with the information to help determine whether you can apply and
understand the criteria applied to the Fund. Loans will be made only to ‘investment-ready’ organisations. A range of factors will be
considered, including financial viability, social outcome measure, management and governance and risk assessment. Information to
determine this will be requested following on from your EOI submission.
How can I apply?
By completing and sending an EOI to communitycapital@socialinvestmentscotland.com. The guidelines should help you to complete
your EOI. Anything not covered below should be directed to one of our team at the email address above or 0131 558 7706. The fund
is limited and will be offered on a first come, first served basis to eligible enterprises. The fund opens to expression of interest on the
12th of August and will close on the 14th of October.
Organisation
Any application should be submitted by
the Parent/Top Company, rather than a
trading subsidiary. This should also
include the date the organisation was
formed.
Registered Address
The registered address of the applicant
organisation, including the full postcode.
Legal Status
The social enterprise must be one of the
following:
(i) A charity registered with the Office
of the Scottish Charity Regulator
(including a SCIO);
(ii) A community interest company; or
(iii) A community benefit society, that
is not a charity,
Based, operating and having social
impact in Scotland. This should also
include the date the noted status was
granted.
Charity/Company
Number
The company, charity or FCA registration
number.
Loan Amount
required
Minimum: £25,000
Maximum: £100,000*
Loan Term
The term you wish to take the loan over.
Up to a maximum of six years, and no
shorter than three years. Only interest
will be payable for the first three years.
*Investments may be structure using coinvestment with other products offered
by SIS to enable the offer of funding
packages in excess of £100,000. Those
Note early repayments cannot be made in
the first three years.
requesting over £100,000 should contact
SIS in advance of submitting an EOI to
discuss further.
Use of Funds
Provide brief details of the planned use
for the funds i.e. what you intend to
purchase with the funds.
Loan Drawdown
Preference
Please provide details of when you would
like to drawdown the funds applied for.
All funds must be drawn by 31 March
2016, at the very latest.
HMRC Advance
Assurance.
Social Enterprises should apply to HMRC
for advance assurance for comfort that
they and the proposed investment will
qualify for SITR. If you have received
these assurances please indicate so her.
If not please let us know and SIS will
support you throughout the process.
Social Impact
Outcomes
Loans will be made only to social
enterprises with a definable and
measurable social impact in line with Big
Society Capital’s Outcomes Matrix
methodology, and which support one or
more of the following beneficiary groups:
 Homeless people;
 People experiencing long term
unemployment;
 People living in poverty or financial
exclusion;
 People with addictions issues;
 People with long-term health
conditions/life-threatening or terminal
illness;
 People with learning disabilities;
 People with mental health needs;
 People with physical disabilities or
sensory impairments;
 Voluntary carers;
 Vulnerable parents;
 Vulnerable children’s (inch, looked after
children);
 Vulnerable young people and NEETS
(more commonly referred to in Scotland
and More Choices, More Chances);
 Older people (including people with
dementia);
 Ex-offenders; and
 People who have experienced crime or
abuse.
Contact Details
Please enter the contact details, for the
person we should speak to about this
application.
State Aid
Investment which attract SITR are
subject to the restrictions on the giving
of state aid. Please detail how much, if
any, State Aid you have already received
in the last 3 years and whether any
exemptions can be applied. If an
organisation has already reached or
exceeded de minimis or the funding
from us would result in de minimis being
exceeded then we will not be able to
provide any further funding as this
would result in aid being given . We will
not knowingly fund proposals that
exceed State Aid limits. Broadly
speaking, most organisations will be able
to receive a maximum of around
£275,000 over three years.
Excluded Activities
 Dealing in land, commodities, futures,
shares, securities or other financial
instruments;
 Banking, insurance, money-lending,
debt factoring, hire-purchase financing
or other financial activities;
 Property development with a view of
realising a profit on sale;
 Fishery and aquaculture activities;
 The subsidised generation or export of
electricity
 Road freight transport for hire or
reward; and
 Providing services or facilities to
another business whose business
consists substantially of one of the
above excluded activities.
SIS COMMUNITY CAPITAL: EOI GUIDELINES