Building market awareness
According to our independent study of the social impact investment (SII) sector, the sector has become considerably more established and settled over the last two to three years. Good levels of confidence and know-how were reported among most of those involved in the investment process, and a growing sense that SII is becoming more achievable and accessible. There was also widespread recognition and agreement that the sector was making progress in achieving its aims.
- Understanding of SII has grown significantly – 65% are very familiar (compared to 37% in 2018).
- Confidence about SII has improved – 56% feel confident about the sector (compared to 10% in 2018).
- Participants feel better informed about SII – 53% feel well informed about SII (compared to 10% in 2018).
However, that was matched by a strong, prevailing view that there is a lot more to be done, and the majority still recognise significant challenges and difficulties.
- Majority find SII difficult – 63% say process is “challenging and difficult” across investors, intermediaries and investees.
- Networks and partnerships still need improvement – 24% disagreed that it is easy to find the right contacts and partners, rising to 36% among investees.
- Investees have less confidence than other groups when dealing with SII – 57% have low to mid-confidence (compared to 31% among investors).
We continue to work with our partners to further understanding and participation in social impact investment, particularly among key groups such as social sector organisations, investors and Government.