Social Investment Scotland delivering ‘real impact’ through £46.3m funding
“Scotland’s social enterprises and charities continue to deliver real impact in their communities, often against significant financial pressures” – Alastair Davis
Ethical lender Social Investment Scotland (SIS) has pumped more than £46 million into social enterprises, charities and community groups over the past year, though the figure is down on the year before.
The group’s latest annual impact report shows that it supported 178 third sector ventures and organisations through £46.3m of active loans and investments over the 12 months to March 2026. The SIS funding helped reach 4.5 million people across Scotland, the UK and beyond through its investees, while supporting “stable employment and economic resilience in local communities”.
Reflecting this, SIS investments contributed to the sustainability of at least 4,295 full-time equivalent jobs across its active portfolio during the year. SIS investees also delivered a wide range of outcomes for people and communities, including 46 employment, training and education programmes, 17 environmental sustainability initiatives, 17 income and financial inclusion initiatives, and 11 housing and community infrastructure projects.
The headline £46.3m funding figure compares with a total of £52.5m in the prior 12-month period.
Alastair Davis, chief executive of Social Investment Scotland, said: “Scotland’s social enterprises and charities continue to deliver real impact in their communities, often against significant financial pressures. As we move deeper into our ten-year strategy to build a stronger impact economy, our job is to make sure their ambition is met with the finance to deliver it.
“This year we backed 178 organisations with £46.3m in investment, helping them reach millions of people through the services and opportunities they provide. We’ve also been laying the foundations for the future, from fully deploying the Community Investment Enterprise Fund to launching the Community Enable Funding programme in Scotland. What matters most is that more organisations can access the finance they need to grow their impact,” he added.
SIS noted that about 33 per cent of investees are based in areas within the 35 per cent most deprived in Scotland, while 23 per cent operate in rural or island communities, helping investment to reach people and places often underserved by traditional finance.
Beyond its investment activity, SIS has continued to strengthen Scotland’s wider social economy through leadership programmes, business support and initiatives. During the 12 months covered by the report, 309 social enterprise leaders participated in growth-focused learning and development programmes, helping to build the skills and resilience of organisations across the sector.
One organisation that has benefited from SIS backing is Peebles Community Trust (PCT), enabling the purchase of its new premises in the former Bank of Scotland building in the Borders town. The not-for-profit development trust works to support and improve the area’s physical, economic, social and cultural infrastructure through a growing portfolio of community-led projects and partnerships.
Michael Ireland, chairman of Peebles Community Trust, said: “Having a community presence on the High Street matters and opening the new hub shows that buildings at the heart of our communities don’t have to sit empty. Without the support of Social Investment Scotland at an early stage in the purchasing process, we simply wouldn’t have been in a position to be taken seriously as a buyer.”
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