Financial Inclusion
Small Business Lending
DSL is a Community Development Finance Institution, offering affordable, accessible and flexible finance to local businesses and social enterprises that have experienced difficulty in accessing funding from mainstream commercial sources, such as the Banks.
Loans of up to £50,000 are available. Decisions are made quickly in four to six weeks. Advice and guidance is provided to ensure clients understand any legal implications of taking a loan and how DSL’s finance can work with other grant and bank finance. All clients receive aftercare.
In 2009 DSL approved loans to 53 businesses with a total value of £878,218, the majority of these businesses are based in disadvantaged communities and each loan has a multiplier effect with money re-circulating in local economies.
Fund Management
CEiS and DSL have extensive experience of managing grants and loan funds on behalf of partners. This includes the Coalfields Regeneration Grant and The Scottish Microcredit Programme. DSL has both a Consumer Credit Licence and a licence to provide the Government’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee.
Credit Union sustainability and growth
CEiS has fifteen years experience of supporting credit union development including establishment, sustainability and growth. This close partnership has enabled us to create partnerships with credit unions, the private sector and the public sector to explore opportunities for expanding credit union services throughout Scotland.
Financial Inclusion Service Development
CEiS is working alongside key local authority and government partners to assist in the identification and delivery of new business models related to Post Office Services. In 2009 we supported our client, Pollok Credit Union to take over the running of the local post office, and we are working to ensure that the credit union/post office joint business model is given serious consideration as post offices in urban and rural areas face potential closure.
We are supporting the (DWP) Department of Work and Pensions Financial Inclusions Champions programme through staff secondment and participation on the programme advisory group in Scotland. In 2009 CEiS commenced working with Glasgow Caledonian University to support their initiative to introduce a Grameen Bank micro-credit initiative in Glasgow.
