Big Issue Invest
Big Issue Invest is the social impact investment arm of UK Big Issue Group, providing loans (£20,000–£4 million), equity, and blended finance to social enterprises and charities tackling poverty and inequality across the UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Big Issue Invest does
Big Issue Invest is the social impact investment arm of the UK-based Big Issue Group, founded in 2005 by John Bird and Nigel Kershaw and headquartered at Fonthill Road in Finsbury Park, London. The firm deploys patient, mission-aligned capital into UK social enterprises and registered charities that address poverty and inequality across housing, employment, healthcare, accessibility, and community services. Its core product suite comprises Social Impact Loans ranging from £20,000 to £4 million, Equity and Revenue Participation (quasi-equity) for growth-stage organisations, and Blended Finance that combines loans with grant support to strengthen long-term financial resilience.
Big Issue Invest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Issue Invest
- Legal name
- The Big Issue Limited
- Website
- https://bigissueinvest.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Big Issue Invest is the social impact investment arm of UK Big Issue Group, providing loans (£20,000–£4 million), equity, and blended finance to social enterprises and charities tackling poverty and inequality across the UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Issue Invest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Impact Investment Services
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure) (FSAAALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Social Impact & Inclusive Finance Funds (FSANAJAH), Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance) (BPAGALAA), Private Banking Philanthropy & Impact Advisory (FSABADAJ)
Keywords
Where Big Issue Invest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Big Issue Invest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Social Impact Loans: Provides loans ranging from £20,000 to £4 million to social enterprises and charities at various growth stages. Loans are shaped around the organization's plans and finances.
- Equity and Quasi-Equity Investments: Provides equity and revenue participation (quasi-equity) funding for organizations where traditional loans are not the right fit, offering more flexible capital or terms.
- Blended Finance and Grant Support: Combines loans with grant support to help organizations grow sustainably, designed to strengthen long-term impact and financial resilience.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Social Impact Loans from £20,000 to £4 million |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Big Issue Invest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Issue Invest provides social impact finance to UK-based social enterprises, charities, and trading arms of charities. It offers three core funding products: Social Impact Loans ranging from £20,000 to £4 million, Equity & Revenue Participation (quasi-equity) financing, and Blended Finance combining loans with grant support. Since 2005, the firm has invested over £100 million in hundreds of social impact organisations.
Product overview
Big Issue Invest is a social impact investment organization offering a unified portfolio of three core financing products for social enterprises and charities: Social Impact Loans (ranging from £20,000 to £4 million), Equity & Revenue Participation (quasi-equity financing), and Blended Finance & Grant Support (combining loans with grant support). These products are designed to create solutions that end poverty and inequality in the UK, addressing needs from affordable housing to employment support and healthcare.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Social Impact Loans Loan products ranging from £20,000 to £4 million that back social enterprises and charities at every stage of growth, with terms shaped around the organisation's plans and finances.
- Equity & Revenue Participation Flexible capital and quasi-equity financing options designed for expanding organisations where traditional loans may not be the right fit, offering terms that differ from standard repayment models.
- Blended Finance & Grant Support Combined loan and grant support designed to strengthen long-term impact and financial resilience for sustainable organisational growth.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.9 million people helped in 2025 through invested organisations
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Big Issue Invest
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Big Issue Invest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Big Issue Invest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AshurstLaw firm providing legal support and partnership in social impact initiatives
- Big Issue GroupcoreParent organization; Big Issue Invest was founded by John Bird and Nigel Kershaw from Big Issue Group. Part of the broader Big Issue ecosystem including Big Exchange and Big Issue Recruit
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Big Issue Invest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Unity Trust Bank: UK ethical bank lending to social enterprises, charities, and purpose-led organisations; a broader financial institution but operates in the same lending-to-mission-driven-businesses niche as Big Issue Invest.
- Triodos Bank UK: Established European sustainable bank active in the UK that lends to social enterprises, charities, and mission-led businesses across multiple ticket sizes, overlapping heavily with Big Issue Invest's lending model but at much greater scale.
Others
- Ashden Trust / Galashiels (mission-aligned funders cluster): UK grant-making foundation providing grants and programme-related investments to social enterprises and charities addressing climate and social inequality; an adjacent funder ecosystem participant that partly overlaps Big Issue Invest's blended finance and grant support work.
Direct peers
- ClearlySo: Impact investment advisory and capital-raising platform connecting social enterprises and impact investors in the UK and Europe; matches Big Issue Invest's borrower-investor intermediation model.
- Charity Bank: UK ethical bank that lends exclusively to charities and social enterprises, offering loans in overlapping ticket sizes to Big Issue Invest's £20k-£4m social impact loan range, competing for the same investee base.
- Big Society Capital: The UK's social investment 'wholesaler', chaired by government, that channels capital to social enterprise intermediaries including funds very similar to Big Issue Invest's loan and equity products for charities and social enterprises.
- Bridges Fund Management: UK-based impact-focused private equity and venture manager investing across sustainable funds, outcomes contracts, and social enterprises; directly comparable to Big Issue Invest's mandate of funding UK organisations delivering social benefit alongside financial return.
- Resonance (formerly Resonance Limited): UK impact investment intermediary that builds and manages social investment funds for charities, social enterprises, and investors; competes directly with Big Issue Invest's blended finance and quasi-equity offerings.
- CAF Venturesome (now part of CAF): Charities Aid Foundation's social investment arm that historically provided loans and quasi-equity to UK charities; nearly identical mandate and product set to Big Issue Invest's Social Impact Loans and blended finance offerings.
Regional players
- Social Investment Scotland: Scotland-focused social investment intermediary providing loans and investment readiness support to charities and social enterprises; offers the same product mix as Big Issue Invest but limited to the Scottish market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Big Issue Invest social profiles
Digital presenceBig Issue Invest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Issue Invest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Big Issue Invest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Issue Invest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments19 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Big Issue Invest
What does Big Issue Invest do?
Big Issue Invest provides social impact finance to UK-based social enterprises, charities, and trading arms of charities. It offers three core funding products: Social Impact Loans ranging from £20,000 to £4 million, Equity & Revenue Participation (quasi-equity) financing, and Blended Finance combining loans with grant support. Since 2005, the firm has invested over £100 million in hundreds of social impact organisations.
Is Big Issue Invest a public or private company?
Big Issue Invest is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Big Issue Invest founded?
Big Issue Invest was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Big Issue Invest based?
Big Issue Invest is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Big Issue Invest make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Social Impact Loans are the primary driver. The others are equity and Quasi-Equity Investments and blended Finance and Grant Support.
Who are Big Issue Invest's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Unity Trust Bank and Triodos Bank UK. Ashden Trust / Galashiels (mission-aligned funders cluster) is listed as an others. Direct peers are ClearlySo, Charity Bank, Big Society Capital, Bridges Fund Management, Resonance (formerly Resonance Limited) and CAF Venturesome (now part of CAF). Social Investment Scotland is listed as a regional player.
Does Big Issue Invest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Issue Invest.
What industry is Big Issue Invest in?
Big Issue Invest's product category is Social Impact Investment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAALAG, Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure), with a secondary code of FSANAJAH, Social Impact & Inclusive Finance Funds. Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.