FirstImpact aims to cultivate a purpose-led approach to business .

Local Government

Local Government

 
 

Driving inclusive economic growth and building stronger, fairer communities

We use our experience in supporting purpose-driven and diverse businesses across Scotland to help make entrepreneurship more accessible. We do this through local outreach and early-stage workshops.

We work closely with existing business support providers to help new ventures build in purpose, social value, and ways to measure their impact from the start. For more established businesses, we offer coaching, peer support networks, and resilience training.

We also help councils design and run local grant programmes, combining funding with tailored business advice and support, along with clear impact reporting mechanisms.

What we offer

A flexible, three-tier programme to inspire and support responsible entrepreneurship at the pre-start stage, focusing on underrepresented groups in local communities.

The support offer combines workshops, mentoring, peer learning, and seed funding with connections to the wider Scottish support ecosystem, creating a clear pathway from awareness to exploration and enterprise readiness.

Learn more about the three levels of support below, and contact us to discuss your individual needs.

  • Ignite is a short, inspiring introduction to responsible entrepreneurship, building confidence, sparking ideas, and connecting underrepresented groups into local networks.

    Ignite aims to stimulate interest in social entrepreneurship among those who may not yet consider it an option.

  • Explore provides practical workshops to help participants gain confidence, test their ideas, and create action plans. Aimed at those ready to move forward, it offers peer support, expert guidance, and access to early funding for eligible social enterprises.

  • Build offers hands-on support for participants with strong ideas through workshops, one-to-one mentoring, and peer networks. It helps founders refine, test, and launch their ventures, with eligible social enterprises able to access grants of up to £5,000.