Supports and challenges for community businesses: Lessons learnt from Power to Change’s legacy programme evaluations

This report summarises findings from a desk-based review of 17 publications commissioned by Power to Change, to share findings on the support and challenges that are faced by community businesses. Looking across Power to Change’s grant and support programmes such as the Bright Ideas, Trade Up and Community Business Fund programmes, the report has organised findings across the four stages of development that community businesses might typically undergo. Doing so has highlighted the impact of support targeted to the needs of community businesses at a point in time, but also the value of longer-term, holistic or wraparound support that community businesses might benefit from over their lifetime.