Match Trading
An innovation in grant-funding that incentivises growth through trading
What is Match Trading (also known as Match Trade)?
It’s a beautifully simple concept. Match Trading® is grant-funding that pound-for-pound matches an increase in income from trading. (It is also known as Match Trade.)
This animation explains Match Trading in 90 seconds.
By rewarding sales growth, Match Trading grants incentivise social organisations to develop their trading base, so they can build stronger futures.
Match Trading grants were created by the SSE from 20 years of experience of helping people to create sustainable change in their communities.
We’ve created Match Trading with the support of pioneer partners Lloyds Banking Group and The National Lottery Community Fund and development is overseen by a Task Force of 20+ leading funders and social-sector organisations.
What’s the impact of Match Trading?
Launched in 2017, Match Trading grants have been awarded to over 500 voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations as part of SSE learning programmes. Latest evaluation shows
- Social impact organisations incentivised by a Match Trading grant are increasing their income from trading at 2.5 times the pace of those supported by a traditional grant.
- A typical Match Trading grant recipient increases their income from trading by £16,952 – a 64% increase over one year.
Check out these case studies.
Programmes in partnership with Power to Change, Rank Foundation, Lloyds Banking Group, the Scottish Government, Guys and St Thomas Charity, The National Lottery Community Fund and Access Foundation have enabled further understanding of the impact it is already having.
That said, Match Trading is a new innovation, so there’s still lots to figure out. SSE is committed to exploring Match Trading’s potential applications and limitations. We’re keen to work in collaboration with partners to pilot Match Trading further. Click here to find out more.
Trade Back grants
We’ve created Trade Back grants in response to Covid-19 and the economic crisis facing the social sector. We recognise that now might not be the right time to promote Match Trading, so we’re focusing on promoting Trade Back grants right now.
Interested in Match Trading and Trade Back?
Funders, corporates and social sector organisations interested in partnering with SSE in a Match Trading programme can email matchtrading@sse.org.uk
sign up to our Match Trading mailing list.
For social entrepreneurs:
You can access Match Trading grants as part of the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme, in partnership with SSE and jointly funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, at Trade Up and Scale Up levels