Nesta has launched an online directory which lists all the crowdfunding sites in the UK.
The website, Crowdingin.com, allows its users – who could either be looking to raise finance or provide finance – to filter by the type of funding being sought and the sectors that platforms specialise in.
The filter criteria on the website are:
Sector and area of interest:
- Business finance: access to finance for startups or established businesses
- Social good: finance for projects that deliver a significant benefit to society
- Arts-creative: finance for projects that have creativity at their core
Crowdfunding model:
- Donation: fund projects by getting small donations from a large number of people
- Reward: source small amounts from individuals in exchange for reward
- Lending: borrow from the crowd with individuals contributing small parts of the overall loan amount
- Equity: seek investment from the crowd in exchange for a share in your business or project
Alongside Crowdingin.com Nesta has also published a how-to guide to crowdfunding, Working the Crowd, available to download free of charge.
Liam Collins, policy adviser and crowdfunding researcher at Nesta said: “Uses of crowdfunding vary from funding videogames to organic bakeries. It has been growing quickly worldwide in recent years and has the potential to revolutionise the world of finance, creating new opportunities to fund everything from new products and businesses to community projects.
“As the crowdfunding market grows, so too does the number of platforms that facilitate the exchange between the crowd of funders and those seeking finance. Crowdfunding.com will help users navigate the platforms open to them.”
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