Access, the Foundation for Social Investment, launched the Enterprise Development Programme in 2018. Taking a sector-led approach, the programme supports small groups of organisations working in similar areas to establish new enterprise models or grow existing ones.

The Association of Mental Health Providers is one of the six sector partners on the programme, and has supported a cohort of 55 mental health focused charities and social enterprises across 2020 – 2022. All participants have had access to a combination of real-world experience and peer-learning with training and financial support, enabling them to share insights and address common challenges as their enterprise journey progresses. The Programme has reached a great variety of Mental Health-focused VCSEs, in terms of the trading and enterprise activities being pursued and the specific mental health issues or communities they are supporting. However, even with such variety there has been lots of commonality in terms of objectives and support needs.

However, in late 2022, we move into the Alumni Network Phase of the Programme where our objectives are focused generating and sharing insights for the wider mental health sector.