The Edmond de Rothschild Foundations
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UnLtd India provides support for social entrepreneurs in the earliest stages of business creation, whether their venture generates revenue or operates as a non-profit. The organization pursues a three-fold mission: to identify the best social entrepreneurs, provide them with expertise and coaching, and support them during development and fundraising. Together, UnLtd India and the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations have created a philanthropic fund specialized in profit-making enterprises developed within the incubator itself.

The incubator: real value-added for the social entrepreneur

Start-up social entrepreneurs face a number of hurdles when they launch their businesses: strategy, working alone, a lack of contacts, and inadequate preparation in certain areas (finance, marketing), etc.

UnLtd India gives selected social entrepreneurs the tools they need to optimize their chances of success:

•  access to a network of experts
•  a personally designated mentor
•  special classes (business plan, finance, tax issues, etc.)
•  support in procuring funding
•  an equipped working space

Social enterprises: an essential vector in promoting sustainability

The Edmond de Rothschild Foundations support UnLtd India in creating a fund designed exclusively for philanthropic purposes, which targets income-generating businesses.

The criteria include, in particular:

•  maximizing measurable social impact
•  generating sufficient income to allow financial independence within 
   five to seven years
•  reinvesting a major part of the profits in developing the project

Dedicated and effective support

At a time of unprecedented crisis, as funding from governments and investors is growing increasingly scarce, social businesses are poised to offer an original response to social challenges. By stimulating the financial independence of these businesses, the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations wish to develop intelligent ways to support the sustainability of incubator projects.

This fund has adopted a highly innovative modus operandi. First, social entrepreneurs are selected based on their applications and attend a one-week “bootcamp.” During this intensive experience, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to improve their business plan and strategy during special classes. At the end of the “bootcamp”, three projects are selected to join the Rothschild-UnLtd India initiative and receive two years of support. They obtain a loan that they must reimburse in five years’ time.

Professionalism and access to funding for social entrepreneurs

In India, social entrepreneurs cannot obtain funding more complex than donations. By granting loans to these entrepreneurs, the Foundations wish to help them gain access to traditional banking circuits. This program highlights the key factors for success in developing a social enterprise: access to funding and support through coaching. It clearly illustrates the Foundations’ determination to break down the barriers between the social sector and the commercial sector.

>  UnLtd India: www.unltdindia.org