What is The Circle Academy and how can it benefit me?
Here at The Circle, we’ve been thinking hard about how to distil down to its essence, exactly what The Circle Academy is, and what it can do for you and your business. It’s an informed, multifaceted approach to equipping social leaders with business skills, covering a plethora of topics.
You can find out more about The Circle Academy here, but with the sixth cohort of the Academy just around the corner, we thought we’d break down exactly what it is, and answer some of your frequently asked questions along the way.
What is The Circle Academy?
The Circle Academy is a practical and educational programme for individuals or organisations interested in running a ‘More Than Profit’ business. The programme is open to anyone across the world who wants to create positive, social, or environmental change in a sustainable and commercially viable way. The Academy is an online training programme that is focused on developing skills, and knowledge for social entrepreneurs. Along with one-to-one support and sessions from industry experts, the programme will provide the tools and building blocks to launch and grow a ‘More Than Profit’ organisation.
What does ‘More than Profit’ mean?
An organisation or individual operating under any legal structure that aims to create positive, social or environmental impact by ensuring sustainable, reliable and diverse income streams is taking a ‘More Than Profit’ approach to work. You can find out more about this approach here.
Why did The Circle create the Academy?
Firstly, because we want socially impactful organisations to succeed. The Circle itself is a Community Interest Company, we understand the challenges of existing in this sector, and we want to share our experience and expertise to help other organisations overcome them.
We believe that for all businesses, profit and social impact should go hand in hand. We want a social enterprise to grow to a scale where it can sit alongside ‘for profit’ corporations and challenge them to address their social impact. We want companies that set out to do good, to be the norm and create a socially led economy.
We know that no social entrepreneur is born with business skills, but many are expected to jump straight into the role of founder and CEO. We know that this just isn’t realistic. We can’t teach passion, lived experience or ideas, but we can ensure those that have these qualities also have the right skills and support to turn them into a successful business.
Being a social entrepreneur is a challenging job with individuals at risk of financial instability and burnout. We believe that no one should have to work themselves to exhaustion, experience high levels of stress, or go without a fair wage. Our belief is that by taking a ‘More Than Profit’ approach, we can ensure that social entrepreneurs can take care of themselves, in turn giving them a better chance of taking care of their staff and beneficiaries.
We also know that charity and social enterprise is not promoted as a potential career path. We want to show people that they can find fulfilling careers in the sector and provide them with the knowledge base to get onto this path.
Who can participate?
The Circle Academy is open to anyone across the world wanting to create positive social or environmental change in a sustainable and commercially viable way.
You can apply for The Academy if you:
- want your current social impact efforts to become your full-time job.
- run a for-profit business and want to do more for your community.
- run a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation and are struggling to survive through funding alone.
- have an idea for a way to positively impact your community but are unsure of how to execute it.
- are an entrepreneur concerned about burnout?
- run an existing social enterprise and looking to grow.
- run a small business that does good things but is struggling to make ends meet.
- have started a community project and are self-funding it.
- run a business and want to integrate your social purpose and values into your business model.
- are reliant on one source of funding.
- have no prior experience in the third sector.
What will be covered?
The programme will cover 12 topics on the ‘More than Profit’ approach and taught through a mixture of expert talks and presentations, workshops, group discussions, training and one to one consultations.:
- Growth Mindset
- Business Planning
- Legal Structures
- Governance
- Finance
- Marketing
- Sales and Selling
- Teams and Culture
- Social Impact
- Funding and Pitching
1-2-1 sessions will be offered during the reading week halfway through the programme and again at the end of the programme. These sessions are a great opportunity to tap into critical support and guidance to aid in the development and refinement of your business plan, cash flow, and marketing plan via our consultants.
What will I get out of it?
The programme aims to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset by equipping individuals with the knowledge to develop and grow a ‘More Than Profit’ business.
On completion, successful participants will have:
- The opportunity to attain an SCQF level 7 qualification: ‘The Circle Academy Award in Social Entrepreneurship’.
- Produced a detailed and actionable business plan, cash flow, and marketing plan.
- The skills, knowledge and networks that will enable them to create a successful ‘More Than Profit’ business.
- Access to our online learning resources to support business growth for 1-month post-completion of The Academy.
- Follow up support from The Circle, including 9 monthly 1-2-1’s, and access to The Circle Academy alumni network.
- An opportunity to hone your pitching skills and win the funding pot at the end of the programme.
- Confidence in your business and how you will deliver it going forward.
- A community and support network of fellow participants that offer advice, support, networks, and genuine connections.
What makes it different to other training programmes for social entrepreneurs?
The Circle Academy focuses on equipping individuals with the skills to run a sustainable business with a social impact. We focus on a ‘More Than Profit’ model, with the understanding that sustainability is key; our sector can no longer rely solely on grant funding to survive, and entrepreneurs and organisations need to learn how to adapt.
Our unique offering comes in the form of honest and constructive feedback, necessary to ensure everyone has a genuinely viable business model, and the confidence to deliver it. Nothing is sugar-coated, and the participants leave the programme all the better for it.
Who will be delivering the programme?
The programme will be facilitated by the Academy Manager, Jenny McCarthy. Jenny has worked in the third sector since 2014 and is one of the Circle’s longest-standing employees. She worked with our CEO, Kirsty Thomson, at ACK Third Sector Consultants CIC before it merged with The Circle.
Jenny has worked on many aspects of the business and spent her time supporting organisations with social media, business planning and feasibility studies.
Additionally, the programme offers live sessions covering all 12 topics delivered by industry experts, specifically their extensive industry knowledge, experience and reputations. Some of the expert speakers include Jillian Elizabeth, founder of The Little Green Larder, Jamie McBrearty, from YMindset, Anna Devitt, a multi-award winning businesswoman and founder of Direct Devitt, Mairi Damer, founder and Communicator-in-Chief of WORD UP Communications, and Heidi Fisher, a multi-award winning specialist in social enterprise and social impact, to name a few.
How much commitment is needed?
The programme offers 2-hour live sessions twice a week with an industry expert across 12 weeks. By participating, you are expected to attend at least 80% of the live sessions and commit to an additional 2 hours per week for individual reading and self-study.
The live sessions will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, generally from 1pm to 3pm.
Where is the Academy held?
The Academy is an online programme. All sessions will be held on Zoom.
How much does it cost?
The programme is valued at £4,000 per candidate.
Is there funding available?
Yes. We regularly seek funding to subsidise places. The Circle Academy has been funded by the Scottish Government to provide 40 funded places on its 6th cohort. You must fit at least one of the following criteria to be awarded a place:
- those from or working in rural communities
- people whose business is in the environmental space
- young people under 30
Do I have to be based in Scotland/the UK to participate?
No. The Circle Academy is open to anyone across the world.
Are international candidates eligible for funding?
Yes! There are funded places available to international candidates.
When does the programme start/end?
Cohort 6 will begin on the 21st of February 2022 and end on the 23rd of May 2022.
Is the application process difficult?
No. All you have to do is complete this short application form that will give us a better feel for your business idea and establish your suitability for the programme. From there, we may invite you for a quick follow up call to ensure the Academy is the right fit for you. This will be a quick 30 min chat on Zoom, with our Academy Manager, Jenny McCarthy, and a great chance for you to ask any further questions you might have about the programme.
Successful applicants will be asked to complete an onboarding process, and sign a contract outlying the terms, content, and expectations.
When will the 1-2-1 sessions take place?
The 1-2-1’s are scheduled to take place over the course of 2 weeks. The first sessions are scheduled to run during the midway break on the week beginning on the 4th of April and then again, the end of the programme on the week beginning on the 23rd of May.
These sessions must be booked by the candidates. Bookings are taken on a first-come, first-serve basis, so we recommend you book your individual session sooner rather than later.
How many 1-2-1 sessions do candidates get?
Candidates will be offered two 1-hour long 1-2-1 sessions whilst on the programme, and additional monthly 1-2-1’s are offered at no extra cost for 9 months post completing the programme.
Do I have to participate in the pitching contest?
No. Participation in the pitching contest is voluntary but we strongly encourage you to participate!
How much money will we be pitching for?
This varies from cohort to cohort. The money that goes into the funding pot is raised through online donations that can be made through the Academy page on our website via PayPal. The Circle promotes donations from our networks, and we encourage everyone who plans on pitching to share the donation link with their own contacts too. It’s a real supportive effort.
How do I attain the SCQF Qualification?
In order to attain the SCQF award in Social Entrepreneurship, you must submit a business plan, cash flow and marketing strategy:
- Business Plan: including legal structure, organisation structure, social impact, governance
- Marketing Strategy: including SWOT analysis, price points, marketing channels
- Financials: including cash flow and financial projections
Is the SCQF application compulsory?
No. You don’t have to apply for the SCQF qualification in order to successfully complete the programme, however, we highly recommend that you do as it’s a string to your bow and you will be encouraged to produce these documents throughout the programme.
Is there any support after The Academy?
Yes. After successfully completing the programme, you will have access to follow up support from The Circle, including 9 monthly 1-2-1’s, learning resources available in The Academy’s online platform, and access to The Circle Academy alumni network.
Where do I sign up?
To apply to join The Academy, complete this application form.
We accept applications all year-round, but to join in time for the upcoming cohort, please submit your application by Sunday, the 20th of February, at midnight.
Did we miss anything?
For more information on The Academy, visit our website, or download The Academy prospectus. And if you have any further questions, feel free to email us at [email protected] or give us a call at +44 (0) 1382 699 990.
