Social Investment Tax Relief

Impact: Economic impacts, Public policy impacts, Social impacts, 08: Decent Work and Economic Growth (UN SDG), 09: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (UN SDG), 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities (UN SDG)

Description of impact

In 2014 HM Treasury opened a public consultation into Social Investment Tax Relief to which we submitted our research exploring investment readiness in the social investment market. Based upon this submission I was then invited down to HM Treasury in 2014 to participate in a policy round-table to specifically explore the design of Social Venture Capital Trusts (SVCT) within the wider Social Investment Tax Relief consultation. This led to the creation of the SVCT scheme launched in the Chancellor's Budget a year later in March 2015.

Following on from this, HM Treasury commenced negotiations with the European Commission around State Aid clearance for the expansion of the Social Investment Tax Relief scheme. The Treasury was unable to identify any national data in the UK that provided evidence of the investment needs of social enterprises to support their negotiations. We were able to supply the Treasury with data gathered directly from our Big Potential research project that provided evidence of the average investment need of social enterprises, their investment readiness and organisational demographics. This research data directly contributed to the Treasury successfully completing these negotiations with the EC shortly after the Autumn Statement of 2014.

Stakeholders/Beneficiaries

HM Treasury, European Commission

How have research outputs led to this impact?

Our research into investment readiness in the social investment market directly contributed to the SITR consultation and policy round-table, whilst our dataset from our Big Lottery funded Big Potential research project was submitted to HM Treasury to support them in the State-Aid negotiations. This dataset will also be being made an open-data source for the sector in 2020.
Impact statusCompleted
Impact date1 Jan 2014 → 31 Oct 2015
Category of impactEconomic impacts, Public policy impacts, Social impacts, 08: Decent Work and Economic Growth (UN SDG), 09: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (UN SDG), 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities (UN SDG)
Impact levelMature Impact

Documents & Links

Related content