Big Society Capital

Big Society Capital Limited (BSC) is a UK independent social investment institution that provides finance to organizations that support frontline social sector entities tackling social issues to help them grow. Social investment is about lending or investing money to achieve a social, as well as, financial return. BSC was the world's first ever social investment institution of its kind, established by the Cabinet Office and launched as an independent organisation with a £600m investment fund in April 2012. The investment fund comes from dormant bank accounts via an independent Reclaim Fund and leading four UK high street banks. The institution was set up as part of the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008, which defined BSC as an organization that exists “to enable other bodies to give financial or other support to third sector organisations”. (A third sector or a social sector organisation is “a body that exists to assist wholly or mainly for society or the environment”.)