From grants to debt: Rethinking how social enterprises are financed
Cite this
Citations are auto-generated; verify before publishing. The longform classification is PolicyDhara's, not the source's.
Long-form analysis — an in-depth researched piece examining a policy area. Context and interpretation rather than a policy instrument.
Summary
In 2023, SNRas Systems, a social enterprise, came to Villgro, a support organisation for social enterprises, with a problem that had nothing to do with their business model. They had 19 patents in aquaculture technology, contracts with retail chains, and a clear path to scale. What they lacked was INR 50 lakh in working capital to expand to new markets. Every bank they approached said the same thing: insufficient collateral. This is a familiar scenario for anyone working with impactful early-sta