The Powering Up programme provides community business leaders and their teams with access to specific technical expertise, alongside professional development and wellbeing support. Each package of support will be based on the unique circumstances that community businesses find themselves in, as they adapt to the rapidly changing landscape during the COVID-19 crisis.

The support can include:

• Business skills advice
• Human Resources advice, employment, redundancy, furlough, working arrangements etc.
• Health & Safety advice, COVID-19 compliance, safe & secure buildings, staff and visitors etc.
• Financial Planning, including managing cashflow and debt within the business.
• Business planning in changing times.
• Change/crisis management.
• Support to move to a new digital offering, including moving service delivery and income streams online.
• Funding masterclass.
• Coaching.
• Peer to peer mentoring
• Resilience and wellbeing

Although any community business in England can apply, priority will be given to community businesses in the most deprived areas of England, as well as organisations that are led by disabled people and/or people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups.

Powering Up is holding a webinar on Thursday 29 April (2pm) to provide further information about the support programme. In addition to the Powering Up Link workers, one of the providers, the Ubele Initiative, will describe how they have helped transform community businesses through Powering Up! Registration is required and can be done via the Power to Change website.

The deadline for funding applications is 17 May 2021.