Sustainability

Socially positive investments

The University is investing up to £8 million in socially positive causes across Edinburgh and the UK.

Social investment means investing in organisations, funds and projects that deliver a social benefit alongside a traditional financial return, such as organisations working to dismantle poverty or by supporting social enterprises to upscale their work.

As social institutions, all universities should be committed to making the world a better place, and social impact investment provides a mechanism for enabling this.

Dave Gorman, Director of Social Responsibility and Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh, and Richard Hazenberg, Professor of Social Innovation, University of Northampton
Simon Community Scotland
SCS Homes received a loan part-funded by the University, enabling service-users to rent homes in Edinburgh.

Universities as social impact investors: the snowball effect of value (external)

In 2019 the University committed to invest £8 million in socially-positive activities and published a Social Enterprise and Social Investment Strategy. The strategy sets out our vision to be recognised as the leading UK university for social enterprise and investments by the academic year 2023-24. 

As of January 2024, over £7 million has been invested in social impact funds.

Our social investments

Get involved

Prosper Social Finance is the first student-run social investment fund in the UK; founded and run entirely by students at the University of Edinburgh.

Prosper Social Finance

Are you a budding social entrepreneur? Contact Edinburgh Innovations to get support for your social enterprise.

Edinburgh Innovations

Learn more about how the University's Community Grant Scheme and its impact to date.

University of Edinburgh Community Grant Scheme