This beautifully simple innovation in grant-funding matches pound-for-pound an increase in trading income. By incentivising sales growth Match Trading® (also known as Match Trade) builds financial sustainability, not grant reliance. Developed by the School for Social Entrepreneurs, this has proven effective in growing social enterprises – especially in marginalised areas.
INNOVATIVE GRANT MAKING TO REGENERATE BRITAIN
IMPACT
Data from
Match Trading programmes of over 900 organisations demonstrates that the approach supported up to 29% increase in trading income within one year. This compares to a 12% increase in trading income for an equivalent control group who received traditional grants (control group study in partnership with Power to Change).
900+
Social organisations have used
Match Trading grants to date
29%
Average % increase in
trading income in one year
£££
Ensuring social organisations in marginalised communities access funding that works for them
GET INVOLVED
A range of delivery methods are available for funders and partners to increase their impact and sustainability of organisations through Match Trading. By joining Match Trading, you can join the movement in a new way of grant making, share in aggregating data and be at the forefront of developing what works.
Please email matchtrading@sse.org.uk and Robin or Jo will contact you to find the Match Trading approach best suited to your organisation.
WHAT OUR SUPPORTERS SAY ABOUT US
MATCH TRADING CASE STUDIES
Ibijoke Children Foundation UK
“Because of the programme, I can think of moving to a larger place and do more than what we are doing now. I can approach social investors to help fund this and we’re looking to hire more staff as well. I would not have thought of doing this before the programme and receiving Match Trading funding.”
Nikki DiGiovanni, REMO
"Not only did the programme help us to learn how to increase traded income and how to respond to that in an agile way, it also gave us the confidence to strategically invest in the development of the organisation via social investment and larger pots of capital based finance."
Grace Harrison, Kitty's Launderette
"It was good to be on a programme that had an emphasis on trading and our long-term sustainability. Our organisation started as a project with the need to fundraise and secure investment to start the business, but we always wanted to move towards a more sustainable model”
Emma Roberts, The Cornwall Bicycle Project
“Being on the programme with other people that are at the same point with their businesses was great. Although everyone was running very different organisations having other people to talk to was most helpful – creating that network. The Match Trading funding was great because it was a motivation to really try hard to think about ways of increasing our traded income to be a sustainable business.”
"Not only did the programme help us to learn how to increase traded income and how to respond to that in an agile way, it also gave us the confidence to strategically invest in the development of the organisation via social investment and larger pots of capital based finance."
ABOUT US
Match Trading was created by SSE from 20 years of experience of helping people to create sustainable change in their communities. Match Trading was originally made possible with the support of pioneer partners, Lloyds Banking Group and Big Lottery Fund.
The team is now led by Robin Chu, SSE’s Director of Strategic Projects, alongside Strategic Projects Manager Joanna Verney.
CREATED BY
PIONEER PARTNERS
Delivery partners
SSE has since partnered with Scottish Government, Access – the Foundation for Social Investment, Rank Foundation and Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity. More recent delivery partners also include the The National Lottery Heritage Fund, City Bridge Trust and The Dulverton Trust.
Match Trading Task Force partners
The Match Trading Task Force ran from 2018-22, Chaired by Carol Mack (CEO – Association of Charitable Foundations). The goal was to create opportunities, ideas and collaborative practice around Match Trading. The Task force included over 20 partners, including Lloyds Bank Foundation, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Esmee Fairburn Foundation, The Mercers’ Company, Voice4Change England, London Funders and more. We’d like to thank The Mercers’ Company and Esmee Fairburn Foundation for providing SSE with development funding for Match Trading during this time.
The Task Force has now expanded in scope; to explore the Enterprise Grants movement. Supported by a steering group led by SSE, Chaired by The Dulverton Trust and including Access and Association of Charitable Funders, the Task Force meets quarterly and includes members of the Match Trading Task Force plus City Bridge Trust, Coutts Institute and more.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We hope to answer some of your questions below. Please email matchtrading@sse.org.uk if you’d like to discuss any aspect of Match Trading further, and a member of the School for Social Entrepreneurs team will get back to you as soon as possible.
How can my organisation give out Match Trading grants?
We’re keen for more organisations to support their beneficiaries and grantees with Match Trading grants. Please email matchtrading@sse.org.uk and a member of the School for Social Entrepreneurs team will get back to you as soon as possible to explain the ways you could use the Match Trading™ approach.
What type of grantee can Match Trading benefit?
So far, we have offered Match Trading™ grants to social enterprises, community interest companies, community businesses, and charities seeking to increase their income from trading. All have been established for at least one year, though some have been going much longer. Crucially, they are at stage where they are actively seeking to increase their income from trading.
We are keen to test the parameters of Match Trading: what are the minimum and maximum grant amounts that could be offered? What other sectors could it benefit? What size and maturity of organisation is it best suited to?
We warmly welcome you to contact us to discuss how Match Trading grants could benefit the organisations you work with, so we can explore its broader utility. Please email matchtrading@sse.org.uk and a member of the School for Social Entrepreneurs team will get back to you as soon as possible.
How do grantees draw down the Match Trading grant?
So far, we have offered Match Trading grants to grantees over a period of one year. They can draw down the grant on a quarterly basis, matched against increases in their income from trading compared with the baseline year.
How do you define “income from trading”?
The School for Social Entrepreneurs spent three years developing Match Trading grants. Part of this development period was establishing what should and should not qualify as “income from trading”, as it can become quite nuanced! We would be happy to discuss our conclusions further with you, if you are interested in offering Match Trading grants or partnering with us in other ways. Please email matchtrading@sse.org.uk.
Where can I get more data about the impact of Match Trading?
Please email matchtrading@sse.org.uk briefly introducing your organisation and request, and a member of the School for Social Entrepreneurs team will get back to you as soon as possible.
You can also sign up to the Match Trading mailing list to hear about new impact data on Match Trading as it is published.
How do I apply for a Match Trading grant?
You can currently access Match Trading grants through programmes offered by the School for Social Entrepreneurs. Please visit SSE’s website for more information. You can also sign up to the Match Trading mailing list to hear about opportunities to access Match Trading grants as they become available.