RenSEN Newsletter - 13 January

RenSEN Network
RenSEN - Spotlight
RenSEN Member News
RenSEN Dates for your diary


Support and Training
Social Enterprise Learning
Online Resources

Here’s a selection of upcoming workshops and events …

• 20 January 2026 – (Procurement) Working with the public sector: All you need to know (online / Supplier Development Programme)
• 20 January – Impact Measurement (online / Social Investment Scotland)
• 27 January – Charitable Trading (online / Just Enterprise)
• 28 January  – Introduction to social investment (online / Just Enterprise)
• 29 January – Making friends with your finances (in-person, Glasgow / Just Enterprise)
• 03 February – How to cost your services (in-person, Glasgow / Just Enterprise)
• 10 February – Establishing a trading subsidiary (online / Just Enterprise)
• 11 February – Investment Readiness (online / Just Enterprise)
• 25 February – Social impact for start-ups (in-person Glasgow / Just Enterprise)

• Renfrewshire Council’s Social Enterprise Grant Fund is currently open.  Click on the link for more details.
• Community Energy in Action (Local Energy Scotland) – Take a look at presentations from the December conference on ‘Ideas to Impact – Community Energy in Action’.  Topics include ‘Getting Started with Community Energy’ and ‘Developing, delivering and maintaining a sustainable community or faith building’.
• Lived Experience Panels (24 February) – ‘Lived Experience Panels can make a big difference to how we plan and deliver public and community services. And in turn, can truly transform people’s experience of accessing services’. Join this online workshop hosted by Social Enterprise Scotland. 
• Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) is hosting a ‘second series of informative workshops on community ownership of former places of worship as part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship programme’.  Workshops commence 15 January and run through to 03 March.  Click on the link to find out more.

Dates for your Diary 

• Firstport / StartIt – Meet with Firstport advisors to find out more about their Start It programme.  Information sessions are scheduled for 27 January and 17 February.  Click on the links for booking details.
• Firstport / BuildIt – Interested in applying to the next round of Firstport’s Build It programme? Firstport will be holding information sessions on 20 January and again on 10 February.  Click on the link for booking details.

• Social Investment – Thinking about social investment but not sure how to proceed?  Firstport’s investment experts can point you in the right direction – whether that’s Firstport’s loan products or other social investors  Book now for their information sessions on 26 January / 9 February / 23 February
• 27 January – Implications of the Scottish budget for the voluntary sector (online / SCVO)
• 29 January - Funding Socials (in-person / hosted by Social Investment Scotland) - Funding Socials are ‘an inspiring in-person event series designed for charity and social enterprise leaders looking for fresh ideas and connections to help boost income generation’.  Event speakers include: Robertson Trust, Corra Foundation, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Firstport.  Booking details can be found here.
• 03 February - Meet the Funder: Tesco Stronger Starts – a free online event hosted by SCVO
• 10-11 February / The Gathering 2026 (in-person / Edinburgh) – ‘Organised by SCVO, the Gathering is the largest free voluntary sector event in the UK’
• 03 March – Meet the Funder: Creative Scotland – a free online event hosted by SCVO.

SDP Events

SDP has a full calendar of  webinars and events lined up for 2026 and grateful if you can circulate out to your audiences.
 
We are running  again running our Consortium Creation and Planning  on Thursday 19 February 2026, 2:00-3:30pm
 
Aligned Tender training – this is bespoke support for these contract opportunities.
 
Talking Tender with South Lanarkshire Council
Support for First Stop Emergency Access Accommodation
Thursday 15 January 2026, 2:00-3:30pm
 
Aligned Tender Training GCC HSCP Community Alcohol and Drug Recovery Services
How to use Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) & Public Contracts Scotland -tender (PCS-T) to bid for this opportunity
Tuesday 3 February 2026, 2:00-3:30pm
 
South Lanarkshire Council, Community Benefit supplier meeting
Do you understand Community Benefits
Thursday 12 February 2026, 10:30am-12:00pm
 
Our core tender training  programme re starts with
 
1.1 Working with the Public Sector - All You Need to Know
Tuesday 20 January 2026, 1:30-3:00pm Webinar
 
1.2 Using Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) – How to Find and Bid for Opportunities
Tuesday 27 January 2026, 1:00-2:30pm Webinar
 
Meet the Buyer events
Meet the Buyer Tayside 2026
Tuesday 3 March 2026, 10:00am-2:00pm Dundee • SDP  in person  Event
 
Meet the Buyer 2026
Tuesday 2 June 2026, 10:00am-3:00pm Glasgow • SDP in person Event
 
All training and Meet the Buyer events can be found at https://www.sdpscotland.co.uk/events/

 

 Social Enterprise Learning Webinars (for social enterprises at all stages)

 All courses are free unless stated otherwise

Enhancing Digital Skills
14 January – AI for small business (online / Business Gateway)
14 January – How to deliver low cost high impact marketing (online / Business Gateway)
20 January – Introducing AI to your organisation (online / Just Enterprise)
22 January – Introduction to business websites (online / Business Gateway)
26 January – Social media essentials: LinkedIn (online / Business Gateway)
29 January – Video production for digital marketing (online / Business Gateway)
03 February – Introduction to Canva (online / Business Gateway)
04 February – How to create engaging content (online / Business Gateway)
12 February – Digital Marketing (online / Just Enterprise)
16 February – How to build a digital marketing plan (online / Business Gateway)
16 February – AI for small businesses (online / Business Gateway)
17 February – Social media essentials: Facebook (online / Business Gateway)
19 February – TikTok and Instagram Reels (online / Business Gateway)
17 March – Digital Marketing (online / Just Enterprise)
24 March  – Making the most of LinkedIn (online / SCVO) Fees apply


Governance & Leadership
15 January – Finding, keeping and looking after staff (online / Business Gateway)
Commencing 19 January – Developing a coaching approach to leadership (online / Just Enterprise)
20 January – Making the most of your SCVO membership (online / SCVO)
26 January – Introduction to business strategy (online / SCVO)
04 February – Introduction to project management (online / SCVO) Fees apply
24 February – Roles and responsibilities for Directors and Trustees (online / Just Enterprise)
24 March – Making the most of LinkedIn (online / SCVO) Fees apply


Social Enterprise Essentials
19 January – How to write funding applications (online / Business Gateway)
20 January – Introduction to safeguarding (online / SCVO) Fees apply
20 January – Impact Measurement (online / Social Investment Scotland)
20 January – Introduction to safeguarding (online / SCVO) Fees apply
21 January – Introduction to data protection and GDPR (online / SCVO) Fees apply
22 January – Service design for charities (online / SCVO) waiting list in operation
27 January – Charitable Trading (online / Just Enterprise)
27 January – Why your business needs a blog (online / Business Gateway)
27 January – Working with corporates to create social impact (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
28 January – Bid writing and funding applications (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
28 January – Be report writing ready (online / SCVO) Fees apply
29 January – Making friends with your finances (in-person, Glasgow / Just Enterprise)
29 January – 05 February – Creating a theory of change (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
03 February – Plan measure and report social impact (online / SCVO) Fees apply
07 February – How to start a business: the basics (online / Business Gateway)
12 February – Low cost / High impact marketing (online / Business Gateway)
23 February – How to write funding applications (online / Business Gateway)
24 February (evening) – How to start a business: the basics (online / Business Gateway)
25 February – Social impact for start-ups (in-person Glasgow / Just Enterprise)
04 March – How to win contracts and service level agreements (online / SCVO) Fees apply
10 March – Funding business growth (online / Just Enterprise)
11 March – Bid writing and funding applications (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
12 March – Know your numbers (online / Just Enterprise)


Business Planning
22 January – Building your business plan (online / Business Gateway)
27 February – Building your business plan (online / Business Gateway)


Monitoring and Evaluation
20 January – Impact Measurement (online / Social Investment Scotland)
27 - 29 January – Measuring social impact (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
12 February – Introduction to social impact measurement (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
03 - 05 March – Measuring social impact (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
17 – 18 March – Measuring social value (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
19 March – Impact and Practice (online / Social Investment Scotland)
07 May – Introduction to social impact measurement (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
17 July – Introduction to social impact measurement (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply


Income Generation / Procurement
20 January 2026 – (Procurement) Working with the public sector: All you need to know (online / Supplier Development Programme)
21 January 2026 – Packaging your sponsorships (online / Culture and Business Scotland) Fees apply
27 January 2026 – How to find and bid for opportunities on Public Contact Scotland (PCS) (online / Supplier Development Programme)
28 January 2026 - Introduction to social investment (online / Just Enterprise)
04 February 2026 – Getting your business tender ready (online / Supplier Development Programme)
10 February – Establishing a trading subsidiary (online / Just Enterprise)
11 February – Investment Readiness (online / Just Enterprise)
12 February – How to generate and increase sales (online / Business Gateway)
23 February – Social Investment options (online / Firstport)
03 March – Charity Tax and VAT (online / SCVO)
04 March – How to win contracts and service level agreements (online / SCVO) Fees apply
10 March – Funding business growth (online / Just Enterprise)