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National reach, local relationships 

One of Firstport’s greatest strengths has always been our national reach, ensuring social entrepreneurs across Scotland can access funding, expertise and opportunities to grow. 

As our 2025-26 impact report shows, we have: 

• supported more than 500 ideas  

• provided thousands of hours of business support 

• invested millions of pounds through grants and social investment annually. 

Last year alone, we awarded £1.69 million in grant funding and a further £1.28 million in social investment, while delivering 2,700 hours of start-up support and 471 hours of investment-readiness support. 

But as the sector evolves, we must too. Over the coming year, we will be introducing a new regional model for SEF, strengthening our presence in communities across Scotland as well as our understanding of place, spending more time with partners and entrepreneurs, and ensuring we remain connected to what’s happening on the ground. 

So why are we making this change? What have we learned from previous experience, and what do we hope it will mean for social entrepreneurs and support organisations across Scotland? Kirstie Penman, Head of Grant Programmes breaks it down in this blog. 

Why regional? Why now? 

Like many organisations, our ways of working changed significantly during and after the pandemic. Virtual meetings helped us maintain accessibility across the country and allowed us to continue supporting entrepreneurs regardless of geography. 

What they couldn’t always replace were the informal conversations, local insights and everyday interactions that help us understand the context in which people develop their ideas. 

Time and again, we see that social entrepreneurs achieve the most when they access support often from a combination of business advice, funding, peer support, community networks and signposting to specialist providers. 

Regional working creates opportunities for closer collaboration between our funding programmes and business support partners. We want it to be easier for entrepreneurs to navigate the support available to them, make the right connections and access different forms of assistance as their needs change. Our move to regional working is not about changing who we support. It is about improving how we support them. 

Firstport already works with a highly diverse community of entrepreneurs. Across our funding and support programmes: 

• 67% of clients are women 

• 18% identify as disabled 

• 14% come from ethnic minority backgrounds 

• 10% identify as LGBTQ+.  

Our recent impact report also highlighted strong geographic reach, with remote areas such as the Highlands and Dumfries & Galloway receiving some of the highest levels of investment per capita. These are foundations we are proud of and want to build upon. 

As the number of applications continues to grow, we see an opportunity to build a richer understanding of local circumstances and strengthen our engagement with the communities we serve. 

As Head of Grant Programmes, I work closely with the SEF Programme Manager, Ray Banks, and the wider team to shape this approach. While my perspective is largely strategic, Ray has spent the last six years at the heart of SEF delivery, supporting applicants, overseeing funding processes, and helping develop the programme. Together, we have been exploring how SEF can retain the consistency and accessibility of a national programme while becoming more grounded in local communities. 

We know that our existing model delivers results. Across Firstport’s programmes, 67% of supported enterprises remain active after five years, compared to a UK average of 38%. Meanwhile, 87% report increased turnover and 61% report increased trading income.   

However, we’ve also seen the additional value that can be created when funding and business support are shaped by a strong understanding of place. This realisation has been reinforced by our recent work in the North East of England. 

Learning from our experience beyond Scotland 

Over the past several years, Firstport has delivered place-based programmes including the UK Government-funded Social Enterprise Boost Fund (SEBF) and Boost Invest (supported by the Postcode Innovation Trust), working alongside local partners to support social entrepreneurs from the earliest stages of development through to investment readiness and growth.  

One of the most valuable lessons from that work has been the importance of having team members who understand both the entrepreneurs they support and the wider network of organisations around them. 

This has helped us: 

• build trusted relationships over time 

• develop a stronger understanding of local needs, opportunities and barriers 

• connect people to the right support more quickly 

• work effectively alongside other providers 

• create clearer routes into funding, investment and growth. 

Boost Invest has deployed more than £438,000 of blended finance across Sunderland, South Tyneside and County Durham – more than double its original target of £200,000. Remarkably, this represents around one-third of all funding deployed through the national Boost Fund despite operating in only three North East local authority areas. 

During its first year, every enterprise supported through Boost Invest had previously received a Social Enterprise Boost Fund award within the preceding two years, demonstrating how sustained relationships and joined-up support can help entrepreneurs move from start-up funding towards investment as their enterprises develop. This gave us valuable insight into the benefits of supporting entrepreneurs over time and understanding their journeys. 

While funding alone does not tell the whole story, these outcomes reinforce something we have long believed: entrepreneurs often progress further when they are supported through strong local networks and joined-up support systems. 

The regional model we are introducing in Scotland has been shaped by these lessons. 

Ray Banks, SEF Programme Manager said: 

“Firstport has always been a national funder with a local focus, so the move to a regional model is a natural one. While remote working has been effective in engaging with social entrepreneurs a bit further afield, nothing can replace dedicated in-person support or local knowledge. What gives me confidence in this approach is the opportunity for local stakeholders and social entrepreneurs alike will have their own Firstport advocates within their region, and I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of new social enterprises we can support and fund.” 

What will regional working look like? 

Scotland will now be supported through four regional areas, each led by a dedicated Relationship Manager. 

These areas have been designed to create strong geographic coverage while enabling closer engagement with applicants, partners and local support organisations. 

North: Christine Fairbairn 

Areas covered: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Highland, Moray, Perth & Kinross, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles. 

“Rural and island communities are known for getting things done, but no two places are the same. Taking a place-based approach helps us to better understand local need, and it’s a privilege to support social enterprises across the North.” 

East: Brian McNally 

Areas covered: Edinburgh, Fife, Falkirk, Midlothian, East Lothian, Clackmannanshire, Scottish Borders and West Lothian. 

“As a co-founder of a Scottish social enterprise, I know firsthand the positive impact of building local connections, and it excites me to be in a position to provide support to those making a difference in the East.” 

West: Jacky Tjivikua  

Areas covered: Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Stirling, Argyll & Bute, East Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire. 

“Drawing on my experience working in local communities and international development, I am passionate about supporting entrepreneurs in the West as they shape ideas that deliver meaningful social and economic impact.”  

South: Karen Fitzsimmons  

Areas covered: Dumfries & Galloway, South Lanarkshire, East Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire. 

“Having worked in funding and helping community organisations develop income streams, I have seen the impact that local organisations can have. I am looking forward to working with organisations across the south to support them in their plans.” 

What we hope to achieve 

This change is about much more than geography. 

We want our Relationship Managers to become visible and approachable points of contact within their regions – people who understand local priorities, build partnerships and help create links between resources and opportunities. 

This approach is already taking place in Orkney. We’ve been privileged to support some amazing organisations in Orkney and will be hosting two events there on Wednesday 30 September and Thursday 1 October. These regional events allow us to listen and learn about what’s already working, where the gaps are, and what makes sense for Orkney. Rather than arriving with a one-size-fits-all approach, it’s about building relationships, learning from local knowledge and looking at where Firstport can add value alongside the support that’s already there. 

We hope our regional approach will help us to: 

• better understand local opportunities and challenges 

• strengthen connections between funding, business support and investment opportunities 

• improve collaboration across the sector 

• increase visibility of social entrepreneurship 

• ensure our funding and support are informed by local insight 

We also hope that earlier engagement with applicants and partner organisations will help people access the most appropriate support sooner, whether through SEF or elsewhere. 

Relationship Managers will have the opportunity to build a deeper understanding of an entrepreneur’s goals, challenges and aspirations over time, helping them access relevant funding, business support and connections as their enterprises develop. While SEF will remain a national programme approach will help create a connected experience for applicants and strengthen the links between different forms of support available to them.  

Ultimately, we want people to experience SEF not as a series of separate interventions, but as part of a broader journey of support. 

If our experience has taught us anything, it is that meaningful progress depends on strong partnerships. The best outcomes happen when organisations play to their strengths and work towards shared goals. 

Regional working is therefore an investment in the partnerships and networks that help social entrepreneurs succeed. 

An invitation to collaborate 

Across Scotland there is a rich network of social enterprise agencies, third sector interfaces, local authorities, enterprise agencies, community organisations, specialist advisers and funders doing incredible work. 

We see regional working as an opportunity to build stronger connections with those organisations, better understand where SEF can add value, and identify opportunities for collaboration. 

As we begin this next chapter, we would love to hear from organisations working within their local communities. 

If you support social entrepreneurs, community enterprises, charities with trading ambitions, or people exploring new ideas for social change, we would welcome a conversation. We are keen to discuss: 

• referral pathways 

• joint outreach activity 

• networking and peer-learning opportunities 

• local challenges and emerging opportunities 

• how funding and business support can work together 

• ways we can help support a thriving social enterprise ecosystem in Scotland. 

Whether you are a long-standing partner or an organisation we have not yet met, our Relationship Managers would be delighted to connect. 

Looking ahead 

This blog marks the beginning of a new series. 

Over the coming year, the SEF team will share reflections from the regions they support, highlighting local opportunities, emerging challenges, inspiring entrepreneurs and examples of collaboration in action. 

Scotland’s social enterprise landscape is incredibly diverse, and no two communities are quite the same. By spending more time listening, learning and engaging with partners across the country, we hope to deepen our understanding of the people and places we support. 

We look forward to sharing what we learn along the way. 
 
If you have any questions about this blog, please email info@firstport.org.uk.