Background
Breakthrough is dedicated to helping social enterprises maximise their social impact by scaling up.
The programme was founded by Permira and CAN to offer a combination of financial investment and business support to established social enterprises so that they can overcome obstacles to growth. It is the combination of equity-like capital and mentoring from private equity and social sector professionals that differentiates Breakthrough.
Launched in 2005, the first €1 million Breakthrough fund invested in four social enterprises Green-Works, an award-winning social enterprise dedicated to recycling office furniture and providing employment to vulnerable people; Law for All, which provides high quality and cost effective law services to clients of limited means; Timebank, a national organisation matching volunteers with charities in their communities; and Training for Life which offers training and work to long-term unemployed people. All four achieved significant growth in income and social impact over the two years of the fund's life.
Breakthrough II was launched in 2007 with €2 million of committed capital. To date, the fund has made four more investments in outstanding social enterprises: FareShare which distributes surplus food to organisations feeding disadvantaged people; Speaking Up, a leading support organisation for people with disabilities, learning difficulties and mental health problems; Teach First which recruits and trains top graduates to teach in challenging secondary schools; and a follow-on investment in Law for All, to support expansion of their services through collaboration with the Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB). Breakthrough II also benefited from financial support from SVG Capital.