The Circle Academy
The Circle Academy is a practical and educational training programme for people interested in running ‘More Than Profit™businesses.
The programme is open to anyone wanting to create positive, social or environmental change in a sustainable and commercially viable way.
The Circle Academy is focused on developing your skills and knowledge in mindset, business planning, legal structures, governance, finance, marketing, sales and selling, teams and culture, social impact, funding and pitching. The programme will provide the tools and building blocks to launch and grow a More Than Profit™ organisation, alongside one-to-one support and guidance with industry experts as proposals are formulated and refined.
At the end of the programme, candidates will have a fully formed business plan, complete with cash flow and a marketing plan, the opportunity to gain a qualification in Social Entrepreneurship and the chance to win funding for their idea.
Spaces on The Circle Academy are valued at £4,000 per person. The Circle has been funded by The Scottish Government to offer fully-funded places on our course in 2022.
Each cohort we invite donations to the pot of funding that the winning candidate is lucky to receive and The Circle match-funds any contributions.
Support the next generation of social entrepreneurs.
'More Than Profit'
The Circle operates with what we call a ‘More Than Profit™’ approach and we encourage Academy candidates to adopt this. Organisations/individuals operating under any legal structure can be considered ‘More Than Profit™’ if they aim to create positive, social or environmental impact by ensuring sustainable, reliable and diverse income streams.
We have made a video for you to find out more.
Watch it below.
Programme Features
- An online learning course where candidates will be guided through topics and content that will develop their business acumen, build an entrepreneurial mindset, fine-tune their pitching, selling, and marketing skills
- Weekly sessions delivered by expert industry speakers
- 1-2-1 sessions to access critical support and guidance to aid in the development and refinement of your business plan, cash flow, and marketing plan
- Access to exclusive learning resources, including access to The Academy Manual
- The opportunity to pitch to a panel on completion of the programme and win the funding pot
- Access to The Academy online platform
- Opportunity to achieve an SCQF Level 7 qualification
- A programme valued at £4,000 per candidate
Download a large text version of the Academy prospectus here.
Download a dyslexia-friendly version of the Academy prospectus here.
The Circle Academy Case Study
Kathryn Rattray is a freelance photographer based in Dundee and was a candidate on the second cohort of The Academy. She joined the programme to learn more about the entrepreneurial mindset and how she could create more social impact. Watch the interview with Kathryn to find out how The Academy impacted her practice.
Applications
We take applications all year round.
The waiting list for the next cohort is growing.
Sign up to our mailing list below to be the first to know.
Case Studies
Case Study - Jillian Elizabeth
Case Study - Kathryn Rattray
Case Study - Daniel Flannigan
Online platform login
The Academy online portal is for current Academy Candidates, Academy Alumni and Academy Speakers.
Login here to access speaker session recordings, learning resources, templates and our online forum for Academy candidates, alumni and speakers. If you are a candidate on The Circle Academy and have not been given access to the platform yet please contact [email protected] to arrange this.
Subscribe for updates
Sign up to our mailing list and select ‘The Academy’ to hear news and updates about the programme and to find out when the next cohort begins