Scale your impact venture with expert mentorship and up to £50,000 in funding.
Now in its 4th year, the CVC DIF–Allia Accelerator Challenge is a six-month programme designed to help impact-driven UK start-ups and social enterprises turn strong ideas into scalable solutions.
Run by Allia Impact in partnership with CVC DIF, the Challenge provides bespoke support to help ventures build traction, strengthen strategy, and accelerate measurable social or environmental impact.
Over six months, you’ll refine your go-to-market strategy and product-market fit, strengthen your impact story, test assumptions with real users, sharpen your commercial strategy, and prepare to scale through a combination of mentoring, coaching, and curated connections. The journey culminates in a high-energy Pitch Day celebration.
Applications for this programme are now closed.
What you'll gain
We're looking for ventures with a proven concept and early traction - ideally revenue-generating or raising a seed round - who are ready to use targeted mentorship to scale.
Strong applicants are ambitious, impact-led teams that want practical support to move faster and build stronger foundations for growth.
This programme is open to ventures across the UK, with the requirement to attend in-person sessions in London.
Applications for this programme are now closed.
Cost: Free
Dates:
Location: Final Pitch Day and celebration event hosted at CVC Capital Partners HQ, 111 Strand, London WC2R 0AG (TBC).
“We've greatly benefited from being part of the challenge, and winning this prize brings us one step closer to our goal of reducing the barriers to braille worldwide. The funding received is a huge boost on top of the support we have received from the DIF team.’’
- Gregory Hargraves, founder of Paige
“GrandNanny has benefited immensely from being part of the DIF-Allia Accelerator. Winning this prize means we’re another step closer to our mission of seeing grandnannies at every school gate across the UK. We truly believe intergenerational childcare can help create better connected communities and increase age-empathy whilst supporting more older adults into rewarding work.”
- Adele Aitchison, co-founder of GrandNanny (now Experienced)
Applications for this programme are now closed – register interest for future opportunities.
For more information on the programme structure, how it works, or if you're unsure whether it's right for you: contact our Programme Manager, Kathryn Ore, at the link below.
Up to £5,000 in funding and expert support for businesses ready to grow
If your business has been trading for a year or two, you’ll know this phase well.
You know your business has potential, you just need the right support to grow it.
Tower Hamlets Support for Startups is a free programme designed to help you move forward with clarity, build a plan, and access funding opportunities. This programme is funded by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, supported by the Greater London Authority, and delivered by Allia Impact.
Re-ignite the spark of creativity and passion for your start-up
The Founder Pitstop is a free four-week, in-person programme helping experienced start-up founders navigate the pressure of running a venture. This programme addresses a fundamental truth hurting many businesses: sustaining a venture requires not just operational grit, but the space to reconnect with the curiosity and creativity that fuel long-term resilience.
Combining reflective business support with hands-on creative practice, weekly workshops ran by Allia Impact & Madam Makery offer a different way to tackle the isolation and cognitive load eroding curiosity for so many. These workshops will allow founders to take a step back, think strategically to problem-solve the challenges they face, break routine thinking, and return to the spark that gave them a reason to start their business.
Turn your idea into an impactful venture
Start Strong Lewisham is a free 6-week business support programme for Lewisham residents who want to turn an idea into a business or social venture.
Whether you are just getting started or still exploring an early idea, the programme will help you build your confidence, develop your business idea, and take practical steps towards launching. It is designed to support aspiring founders from all backgrounds, especially those who may not have seen themselves reflected in traditional start-up spaces.
