Firstport capability statement
Who we are
Firstport is a Scottish charity that helps people start and grow social enterprises, with free business advice, grant funding, investment readiness support and social investment. We work across Scotland and in the North East of England, and are part of the Firstport Group with Firstimpact and Firstfund.
£15.8m
in grants to 1,800 social enterprises since 2009
2,500+
founders given one-to-one and group support
67%
still trading after five years (UK average 38%)
£4.63
back for every £1 invested in LaunchMe
What we deliver
Grant programmes · investment readiness · social investment · place-based programmes · inclusive programmes · challenge prizes. More about each.
Programmes we run, and who funds them
| Programme | Funded or delivered with | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Social Entrepreneurs Fund (Start It, Build It, Community Enterprise) | Scottish Government | 2009 |
| LaunchMe, investment readiness | Partners to confirm | 2014 |
| Catalyst Fund, revenue-based investment | Managed by Firstfund | 2021 |
| Boost Invest | People's Postcode Lottery players; delivered with PNE and partners | To confirm |
| Ready to RISE | ScottishPower Foundation; delivered with the Challenges Group | To confirm |
| Social Enterprise Boost Fund | UK Government; delivered with PNE | To confirm |
“To confirm” items would be checked with Firstport in discovery.
Evidence and governance
- Independent evaluation by Social Value Lab: £3.14 back for every £1 of public investment in the Social Entrepreneurs Fund (2021–24) and £6.20 for LaunchMe (2020–24).
- Every grant since 2022 published as open data through 360Giving.
- Annual impact report, published as a web page and a PDF.
- Disability Confident Committed employer
- Top 100 Most Inclusive Workplaces 2025 (National Centre for Diversity)
- Flexible Workplace accredited
- Scottish charity SC037942, regulated by OSCR · company limited by guarantee SC312802.
Talk to our partnerships team
info@firstport.org.uk · 0131 564 0331 · 7 Montgomery Street Lane, Edinburgh EH7 5JT
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