Power to Change

What Power to Change does

Power to Change is an independent charitable trust (registered charity no. 1159982), established in 2015 with an endowment from the National Lottery Community Fund to grow and back community businesses across England. Operating as a self-described 'think-do tank,' it deploys grants, capacity-building programmes, research, and policy advocacy across three strategic programme areas: growing community-led local economies, creating community-powered places and spaces (including high-street regeneration), and building community-centred public services. Its revenue model is non-commercial: it does not sell products or services and is funded by its original endowment alongside co-funding arrangements with combined authorities, foundations, and social investors.

Its product portfolio is a mix of programme vehicles and research outputs rather than a unified technology platform. Specific programmes include Community-Led High Street Innovators, Trading for Good (Match Trading grants), Kindred (a CIC providing repayable interest-free finance, spun out with Liverpool City Region CA), Community Covenant Test and Learn Partnerships, Community Improvement Districts, and the Resilient Communities Fund. Supporting infrastructure includes a Community Business Dashboard aggregating financial data from ~830 community businesses, a public research and market-report library, and a resources hub (sector guides, funding information). No proprietary AI/ML or SaaS technology stack is disclosed.

Go-to-market is event- and partnership-driven: direct engagement with regional and combined authorities (West Midlands, North East, Liverpool City Region, Bristol), national government policy advocacy, and convening community businesses through Community Business Weekend, research dissemination, and a multichannel social presence. Customers and beneficiaries are 11,000 community businesses across England, with downstream beneficiaries including residents in the 30% most deprived areas (where 100% of community businesses operate). Notable co-created place-based vehicles include Bristol City Funds (£10m, co-funded with Bristol and Bath Regional Capital, Big Issue Invest, and Bristol City Council).

Name

Power to Change

Legal name

Power to Change Trust

Website

https://powertochange.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Power to Change is an independent charitable trust established in 2015 with a National Lottery Community Fund endowment. It operates as a think-do tank, providing grants, research, and policy advocacy to back a network of 11,000 community businesses across England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Charitable Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Governance, Public Financial Management & Service Delivery Reform (BPADAEAD), Democratic Governance & Public Administration Reform (BPADAGAJ)

Keywords

• Community business support
• Charitable grant funding
• Social economy research
• Community development policy
• Capacity building programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Endowment and Grant Funding: Power to Change was established in 2015 with an endowment from the National Lottery Community Fund. The organization has supported community businesses through funding and capacity building programmes totalling £107 million since 2015. They leverage additional funding into the sector, having contributed to bringing an additional £210 million into the community business sector.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Power to Change is an independent charitable trust and think-do tank that backs community businesses in England through grant funding, capacity-building programmes, original research, policy advocacy, and demonstrator projects. It does not sell commercial products; instead, it provides financial and non-financial support to community-owned organisations and influences the conditions that enable them to thrive.

Product overview

Power to Change is a think-do tank that backs community business in England, offering a portfolio of programmes, research publications, and resource tools rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include three strategic programme areas (growing community-led local economies, creating community-powered places and spaces, and building community-centred public services), alongside specific projects such as the Community-Led High Street Innovators programme, Trading for Good, Community Covenant Test and Learn Partnerships, and Kindred (a social investment vehicle). The organization also provides an extensive resource library including sector-specific guides, a Community Business Dashboard for data analysis, and landmark market research reports on the community business sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trading for Good
• Kindred
• Resilient Communities Fund
• Community-Led High Street Innovators
• Community Covenant Test and Learn Partnerships
• Community Improvement Districts
• Community Business Resources and Guides
• Community Business Market Reports
• Community Business Dashboard

Quantifiable outcome

• £5bn+ GVA contributed annually by community businesses
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Midlands Combined AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support WMCA's goal to double the size of the social economy in 10 years through implementing their social economy strategy. Co-funding the Social Economy Strategic Lead role and match-funding to involve grassroots community businesses in making it happen.
• North East Combined AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership started in 2022 with North of Tyne Combined Authority (absorbed into NECA in 2024) to understand the needs of their social economy and develop a strategy or fund. Launched Flexible Social Finance Fund managed by Big Issue Invest.
• Liverpool City Region Combined AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2018 to help grow and develop the community business sector as part of the wider social economy.
• Bristol City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created Bristol City Funds, a place-based £10m fund with Bristol and Bath Regional Capital and Big Society Capital to catalyse sustainable and transformational change in Bristol.
• KindredcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity interest company (CIC) created out of partnership with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, providing repayable interest-free money to community businesses and socially trading organisations.
• We're Right Here CampaignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of campaign calling for a Community Power Act that gives communities more power to shape spaces, services and spending decisions in their local area.
• MyCommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing resources to help start or grow community businesses.
• Cooperative Councils Innovation NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of councils supporting community action. Power to Change supported development of Councils' Cooperative Development Toolkit.
• Platform PlacesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise convening and supporting councils, communities and asset owners to create Local Property Partnerships with access to funding and expertise.
• Ubele InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports community organisations through social action, development and leadership initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Big Issue Invest: Social investment arm of Big Issue that manages the Flexible Social Finance Fund for Power to Change's North East partnership; a directly comparable social economy investor and fund manager.
• Locality: UK-wide membership organisation supporting community-led organisations including community businesses; directly comparable as a sector body advocating for and developing community enterprises.
• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation: One of the UK's largest independent grantmaking foundations, with overlapping priorities on social change, community, and place-based impact; comparable in scale, mission, and grantmaking model to Power to Change.
• Big Society Capital: UK's leading social investment institution, co-investor with Power to Change in Bristol City Funds; directly comparable as a place-based social economy funder deploying catalytic capital into community and social enterprises.
• Tudor Trust: Independent UK grantmaker supporting small charities and community groups, with a focus on under-resourced communities; directly comparable in grantmaking approach and beneficiary profile.
• Plunkett Foundation: UK charity supporting community-owned enterprises (especially community-owned shops and pubs); directly comparable as a specialist community business support organisation with research and advocacy functions.
• Co-operatives UK: The UK's apex co-operative trade body promoting co-operative and mutual business models, which overlap materially with the community business model Power to Change backs.

Broad incumbents

• Joseph Rowntree Foundation: Major UK endowment-funded foundation focused on poverty, place, and community empowerment; shares the 'endowed trust + research + advocacy' model that defines Power to Change's operating approach.
• National Lottery Community Fund: The original endowment provider and largest community grantmaker in the UK; the closest structural analogue given Power to Change was created with a National Lottery endowment and operates in adjacent funding territory.

Regional players

• ACCESS Foundation: The Foundation for Social Investment, providing blended finance and capacity-building support to social enterprises in the UK; comparable as a grantmaking-plus-finance intermediary in the same ecosystem as Power to Change.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/peoplesbiz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Power-to-Change
• Facebookfacebook.com/communitybiz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-power-to-change
• Instagraminstagram.com/_powertochange
• TikToktiktok.com/@powertochange_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Power to Change