Funding the project
how you can help
We are raising capital to open a worker-owned wholefood grocery in Leicester. Here is the financial outline and how you can help.
Where the funding comes from
£100,000
Cooperative lending on value-aligned terms, targeted repayment over 5-7 years.
£100,000
Unsecured loan stock issued to members and supporters, offering options for 2-3% interest rates.
£5,000
Pledged donations from supporters to fund initial development, community outreach, and startup costs.
Initial Startup Costs
Opening the shop needs a one-off capital investment: fitting out the building, buying opening stock and holding a cash reserve while trade builds. We're keeping the fit-out low by doing the ground floor first and the upstairs later, and by using second-hand equipment and simple materials wherever they'll do the job. Any capital raised above what the fit-out needs goes into the cash reserve.
Figures last updated June 2026. They were prepared before the current site was found, as a guide to the scale of the raise rather than a forecast for a particular building. All of them, including the amount to be raised, are being reworked. We'll publish the new figures once the lease terms and business rates are confirmed.
Minimum to open
£150,000
Social loan and loan stock required to open the doors.
Full raise target
£225,000
Includes a stronger cash buffer and additional working capital for resilience.
Operating Forecast & Viability
| Forecast Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Projected Revenue | £767,260 | £927,281 | £1,085,478 |
| Gross Profit | £229,367 | £287,659 | £347,998 |
| Operating Costs | £246,416 | £295,684 | £324,125 |
| Net Profit / (Loss) | −£17,049 | −£8,025 | £23,873 |
| Year-End Cash | £40,919 | £32,894 | £31,767 |
Our operating model is designed to reach break-even quickly. We are keeping fixed overheads minimal, sharing tasks among our worker-members, and building a reliable community customer base. Below is our baseline operating forecast for the first three years of trading.
Why people are funding SPRoUT
"I've found myself in a situation where I've got some spare money to invest. I'd much rather it was helping out a worthwhile project, than it was just sitting in a building society. I'm a fan of co-operative ownership and I think that there should be more of it. And I can see that there's a gap in the market in Leicester for a project like Sprout. The more working capital they've got in ethical loan stock, the easier it's going to be for them to get to break-even. I appreciate that not everyone who wants to support Sprout has spare money, but for those who have, I think it's a great ethical, local, place to keep it."
Help us build a grocery owned by its workers
We are actively seeking values-aligned partners who can provide ethical loans, purchase loan stock, or pledge donations to get SPRoUT off the ground.
If you'd like to discuss investment options or receive our full business plan, please get in touch.
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