Connecting with the Social Enterprise and Business Support Ecosystem

About the University of Bristol Social Venture Forum

The University of Bristol’s Social Venture Forum brings together researchers and spinout social ventures with the organisations, networks and people who can help mission-driven ventures develop and thrive. Our ventures turn university research into organisations that improve lives, strengthen communities and tackle real-world social and environmental challenges.

The Forum is an opportunity for funders, business and social enterprise support organisations, professional services, community organisations and others to meet emerging social ventures early, share expertise and build useful relationships. You’ll hear directly from founders about their ambitions and challenges, explore opportunities to support or collaborate, and connect with others across the social impact ecosystem.

The University currently supports around 15 social ventures at different stages of development. Find out more about our social ventures.

Connecting with the Social Enterprise and Business Support Ecosystem

This first session of the University of Bristol's Social Venture Forum brings together social enterprise and business support organisations and networks with social venture founders. It’s an opportunity to introduce your organisation and the support you offer, meet ventures that may benefit from it now or in the future, and make connections with other organisations working across the ecosystem.

We’ll start with lunch and informal introductions from the university, followed by a short facilitated session in which participating organisations and founders introduce themselves. The rest of the session will focus on conversation and networking, with the Forum team on hand to make introductions where useful.

Your two-minute introduction

Please come prepared to tell founders, in no more than two minutes:

• Who you support
• What you can help a venture with
• When a founder should come and talk to you

No slides are required. We want to keep this simple and conversational.

Founders will also briefly introduce their ventures, where they are now, what they hope to achieve over the next 18 months to two years, and where support or connections could help. This should make it easier for everyone to identify who they would particularly like to meet during the networking session.

You’re welcome to bring a small display and useful information about your organisation or the support you offer. We particularly encourage easy ways for founders to follow up with you, such as QR codes, LinkedIn details or links to relevant programmes and resources.

Some connections may be useful immediately; others may become valuable as ventures grow. Our aim is to start relationships that founders and participating organisations can continue beyond the event.

We look forward to welcoming you to Bristol Rooms and to having you among the early organisations helping to shape and strengthen the University of Bristol’s growing social venture community.

If you have any queries, please do message Lorraine Fairbanks, Translational Hub Manager for Arts, Law and Social Sciences, Research Commercialisation, Bristol Innovation Office Lorraine.Fairbanks@bristol.ac.uk