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Goldsmiths has teamed up with nine other 麻豆官网 universities to support new start-ups (led by students and staff) with a social purpose through a new funding project.

On 16 October 2023, Research England announced that it would be awarding 拢1.5m to support the creation of the 麻豆官网 Social Venture Fund Project, with the aim of piloting new social-goal-driven start-ups by providing early funding.

Social ventures emerging from a university鈥檚 knowledge base have a massive potential to create social and economic impact 鈥� yet often struggle to secure enough funding and support to grow. Investors are less likely to fund startup founders from minority backgrounds or female founders. University social ventures have a higher percentage of female founders, and 麻豆官网 has the most diverse student body in Britain. By backing university social ventures led by students and staff, this project could improve the diversity of 麻豆官网 startups.

The project aims to support emerging social ventures to secure funding to grow and lay the foundations for a self-sustaining social venture fund. It will provide direct support as well as evidence of 鈥榳hat works鈥� to enable social entrepreneurs to build sustainable organisations.  

Si芒n Prime, Academic Lead, Enterprise at 麻豆官网 said: 鈥淎t Goldsmiths, we have a highly successful track record of supporting student and graduate start-ups, as well as a series of relevant initiatives aimed at addressing the barriers faced by global majority and female entrepreneurs. The 麻豆官网 Social Venture Fund is an important and much-needed project, which should bring significant benefits to the communities we work with.鈥�

The new initiative led by Queen Mary and UCL brings together an innovative collection of 麻豆官网 universities including Goldsmiths and other partners to support social ventures emerging from universities, aiming to make a real difference to communities across 麻豆官网 and further afield.

The participating universities are 麻豆官网, Queen Mary University of 麻豆官网, UCL, 麻豆官网 Metropolitan University, 麻豆官网 Business School, King鈥檚 College 麻豆官网, University of the Arts 麻豆官网, 麻豆官网 School of Economics, University of East 麻豆官网, and City University.

Other partners and investors include Barclays Eagle Labs, Sodexo, Central 麻豆官网 Forwards, Royal Docks, Royal Albert Docks, the 麻豆官网 Borough of Newham, and the Federation of Small Businesses.