UK · EVERGREEN BLENDED FINANCE
Capital that changes communities.
The Just Transition Pathways Fund is England's first blended finance fund dedicated to expanding access to climate capital for community-led organisations delivering environmental and social impact. We invest where mainstream finance doesn't.
Our belief
Climate finance should work for everyone.
The transition to net zero will reshape our economy. But unless access to investment changes, many communities risk being left behind.
The organisations creating local climate solutions already exist. They're restoring nature. Creating green jobs. Supporting young people. Building circular economies. Strengthening local resilience.
Yet many cannot access affordable finance because traditional lending models were never designed around community-led organisations. We're changing that.
Our mission
Finance, redesigned around community.
We deploy blended finance directly to community-rooted organisations doing the work mainstream capital won't touch — proving they are credible, repayable, and ready to grow.
Our vision
A green economy built with everyone in it.
A future where every community can access the capital it needs to lead its own green transition — recycling capital indefinitely so no organisation is ever the last one we can reach.
What we do — more than a fund
Finance designed around community-led enterprises — not the other way around.
The JTP Fund combines grants, affordable finance and investment readiness support into one integrated pathway.
Rather than asking organisations to fit existing financial products, we've designed finance around the realities of community-led enterprises. Our model removes barriers, builds organisational resilience and unlocks long-term investment.
Climate investment should create more than lower carbon emissions. It should create opportunity — for communities, entrepreneurs, young people, and local economies.
What we invest in
01
Green Skills & Employment
Quality green jobs, tracked by gender and ethnicity.
02
Circular Economy
Waste diverted, reuse, repair, closed-loop models.
03
Community Climate Resilience
Local adaptation, energy, food and nature recovery.
04
Environmental Justice
Underserved communities leading their own transition.
How our finance works
01
Investment Readiness Grants
£2,500 – £15,000
Non-repayable grants that help organisations prepare for investment — before funding, not instead of it.
02
Growth Loans
£50,000 – £300,000
Affordable finance at 5% — around 25% below typical SME market rates — sized to your stage.
03
Evergreen Capital
Permanent
Every repayment funds the next organisation, building community wealth for generations.
£5M
Capital mobilised
70+
Organisations supported
50+
Green jobs
90%
Target repayment rate
£3+
Social value per £1
About
We're building a different financial system.
For seven years we've worked alongside hundreds of organisations tackling climate challenges in their communities.
Again and again we saw the same problem. Exceptional organisations. Strong community trust. Proven environmental impact. No access to affordable finance.
The issue wasn't ambition. It wasn't capability. It was the system. The JTP Fund was created to bridge that gap — a permanent source of climate capital for organisations mainstream finance has historically overlooked.
Our values
Equity by design
We build products around the organisations excluded from them — inclusion isn't a bolt-on.
Community, not extraction
Asset-locked by constitution. No profits to directors. Surplus is reinvested, always.
Evidence over assumption
Every design choice is grounded in seven years of ecosystem data, not guesswork.
Trust, earned twice
We ask organisations to trust us with their growth. We ask investors to trust our judgement of risk. We hold both with the same rigour.
Built to last
Evergreen by design — every repayment becomes the next organisation's opportunity.
Team
Samantha Kidjo
Investment Manager
Steering Committee
- Mandy Nyarko MBE
- Yvonne Ofosu Appiah
- Anthony Harte
- Emily Morrison
- Natasha kwaka
Powered by Salt and Earth
Funding
Funding designed around communities.
Most community organisations don't fail because their idea is weak. They fail the paperwork — the financial history, the governance structure, the collateral a mainstream lender expects. So we built a pathway, not a product.
Investment Readiness Grants
£2,500 – £15,000
Non-repayable
- Purpose. Remove the barriers that stop strong organisations reaching the loan stage.
- Typical uses. Financial systems, governance, impact measurement, feasibility, due diligence prep.
- Eligibility. Organisations working toward loan readiness. Asset-locked; demonstrable just transition connection.
Growth Loans
£50,000 – £300,000
5% interest · ~25% below typical SME rates
- Repayment. Structured to your organisation's revenue reality. Targeting 90%+ portfolio repayment.
- Security. We underwrite community track record and revenue model — not collateral.
- Technical assistance. Continued access to our Investment Manager and Community Coordinator.
Growth Loan tiers
| Tier | Loan size | Organisation stage |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | £50,000 – £100,000 | Early-stage · £25k–£100k annual turnover |
| Tier 2 | £100,000 – £150,000 | Growth-stage · £100k–£250k annual turnover |
| Tier 3 | £150,000 – £300,000 | Scale-stage · £250k–£500k annual turnover |
The evergreen model
Every pound we lend comes back to work again.
When an organisation repays its loan, that capital doesn't leave the fund — it's recycled straight into the next round of lending. No fixed end date. No capital that expires. Just a permanent, growing source of climate finance for communities across England.
Eligibility
Who can apply?
We've deliberately built our eligibility criteria to match the organisations mainstream finance overlooks — not the other way around.
Organisation type
- Registered Charity
- Community Interest Company (CIC)
- Community Benefit Society
- Social Enterprise (equivalent asset lock)
Location
Track record
Financial criteria
- £25,000 – £500,000 annual turnover
- Demonstrable revenue model
- Appropriate financial controls
- Evidenced ability to repay (loans)
Climate criteria
Social criteria
Priority given to
Community-owned organisations · Black and Ethnic Minority-led organisations · Organisations led by women, young people (16–25), disabled people, or other underrepresented founders · Organisations operating in underserved places · Collaborative partnerships across organisations.
Not sure if you qualify? Get in touch — our team reviews applications individually, not just against a checklist.
Impact
Measuring the just transition.
We don't just fund climate action — we prove it happened, for whom, and who benefited. Every organisation reports against a shared framework spanning climate, economic and community outcomes.
Climate outcomes
- tCO₂e avoided or reduced
- kWh of clean energy generated
- Tonnes of waste diverted
- Green jobs created (tracked by gender and ethnicity)
- Community assets greened
Community outcomes
- Meaningful consultations held
- Evidence of co-design
- % governance seats held by community
- Co-created Theory of Change
- Annual public impact report
Economic outcomes
- Ethnicity and gender pay parity
- % employees from the local borough
- £ community assets secured long-term
- SROI target £3+ per £1 deployed
- % beneficiaries from marginalised groups
Theory of Change
01
Activities
Readiness grants remove barriers. Three-tier loans deployed to BEM-led, asset-locked enterprises.
02
Outputs
20–24 loans, 25–35 grants. 50+ quality green jobs. 5+ community assets secured long-term.
03
Outcomes
Financial resilience built. Follow-on capital unlocked. Local access to green services.
04
Long-term
BEM-led enterprises proven repayable. Intergenerational wealth built. Fund self-sustaining Year 4+.
Co-invest with us
Interested in co-investing?
We're building a coalition of mission-aligned investors, foundations and partners. If you'd like to explore co-investment opportunities with the JTP Fund, request information and our team will be in touch.
Request information
Community partners
JUST Centre, Manchester
Drives pipeline across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, North East England and West Yorkshire; chaired by our Fund Director.
Tree Shepherd, South London
BEM-led enterprise support and maker space; frontline referrals.
Impact Brixton
Community and co-working space with direct community reach.
BAE HQ
British Asian Entrepreneur — UK-wide network.
Policy & evidence ecosystem
We align with UK Government Net Zero commitments, the LSE Just Transition Finance Lab, the Impact Investing Institute's Just Transition criteria, Combined Authority climate strategies, Nesta Standards of Evidence, and the findings of the Adebowale Commission.
Resources
Tools to get you investment-ready.
Funding guides
Plain-English guides to how our grants, loans and application process work.
Investment readiness toolkit
Practical tools covering financial forecasting, governance and impact measurement.
Business templates
Financial model, board terms of reference and impact reporting templates.
Climate finance resources
Curated reading on blended finance, just transition funding and the wider landscape.
Community wealth building
Asset locks, community ownership models, evergreen finance.
FAQs & reports
Answers to the questions we hear most, plus our published impact reports.
FAQs
The questions we hear most.
- 01
Who can apply for funding?
- 02
What's the difference between a Readiness Grant and a Growth Loan?
- 03
How long does a decision take?
- 04
What happens if my organisation doesn't fit the criteria exactly?
- 05
How is the fund governed?
- 06
How can my organisation partner with JTP rather than apply for funding?
- 07
How can I invest or co-fund alongside Pathway?
Full answers publish alongside the first cohort — meanwhile, ask us directly.
Contact
Let's talk.
For applications, partnerships, media or general enquiries — get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.
info@justtransitionpathways.org